Overcoming Anxiety and Stress by Using the Worry Period

Editor's note (September 2026): The guidance below has been revised by SelfGrowth to remove blanket discouragement of medication and promises of eliminating anxiety, and to clarify the worry-time technique. The opening paragraph is unchanged.

No one likes to deal with anxiety. However, it is never an easy thing to reduce the underlying cause of the stress and anxiety. For example, if you are concerned about a recent job loss it would be difficult to reduce the worry one would face in such a situation. After all, the situation is most definitely a serious one since it affects the ability to support oneself. But, does worry truly help the situation? No, worrying about the situation is not something that will improve any serious problem. It can drain your energy resources and this is certainly not advisable to engage in. This does raise questions regarding how you can work on decreasing the anxiety you are dealing with.

Self-help strategies can help some people manage anxiety. One method involves setting aside a worry period to work through concerns. It can complement professional care; decisions about prescription medication should be made with a qualified healthcare professional.

The way a worry period works involves setting aside a short period each day, such as 10 to 15 minutes, to write down your worries and consider practical steps you can take. When worries arise at other times, you can remind yourself to return to them during that period and gently refocus on what you are doing. The aim is to manage worry, not to eliminate it completely.

It is important to have realistic expectations when trying a worry period. It may take practice to find out whether it helps you, and results will vary. If anxiety persists, worsens, or affects your daily life, seek support from a qualified healthcare professional.

A worry period is one tool you can try as part of managing anxiety. It is not a replacement for care you need, and you should not stop or change prescribed medication without discussing it with your prescriber.