CBT Cards
What is worry time?
Worry time is a structured technique for setting aside a short, planned period to review worries rather than repeatedly engaging with them whenever they appear. One practical version is to write the worry down, remind yourself that you have a time to return to it, and redirect attention to the present task until that review period.
A simple sequence
- Capture the worry: write it in one clear sentence.
- Park it: decide that you will review it during a planned worry period rather than solve it immediately.
- Return to the present: bring attention back to what you were doing.
- Review later: ask whether the worry points to a practical problem you can act on or a hypothetical concern outside your immediate control.
- Make a plan where possible: for a solvable problem, choose a concrete next action and when you will take it.
Use the free worksheet
The free worry-time worksheet gives you a browser-local place to record worries, choose a review time, separate actionable problems from hypothetical concerns, and note a practical next step. It can be printed or saved as PDF and has no submit action.
How the CBT Cards Worry Box relates
CBT Cards includes a Worry Box tool. Its role is to give a worry a defined place instead of requiring you to keep rehearsing it mentally. The tool does not decide whether a worry is realistic, diagnose anxiety, or tell you what action is clinically appropriate.
When this is not enough
Worry is a normal human experience, but a self-reflection exercise is not a substitute for individualized support. If worry is persistent, overwhelming, or interfering substantially with daily life, consider discussing it with an appropriate qualified professional.
Source
Last reviewed by the CBT Cards project: 18 August 2026. This page is educational and does not provide an individual assessment or treatment plan.