CBT: examining your thoughts · worksheet 64
Not all worries are the same. Some are about a real problem you can act on. Others are “what ifs” that don’t exist yet. Sorting them helps you know what to do with them.
Before you start
- What it is for: To know what to do with each worry: act when you can, let it pass when you can’t.
- About 10 minutes at the end of the day.
- There are two kinds of worry: real ones (a problem that exists today and that you can do something about) and hypothetical ones (“what if…?”).
- Each kind calls for something different: real ones, an action; hypothetical ones, letting them pass.
Prefer paper? Download the PDF to print (with a page for psychologists).
What to do with your results
Many people discover that most of their worries are hypothetical. For those, looking for a solution doesn’t work: what helps is accepting the doubt.
If you find it hard
If a worry mixes the two, split it in two: the part you can act on and the “what if…?” that remains.
For psychologists
The PDF also includes a page for the psychologist: how to run the exercise in session, points to watch and scientific references. You are free to use it with your clients.
For psychologists: aim, audience and duration
Help the person distinguish worries about current, changeable problems (to be worked on with problem solving) from hypothetical worries (“what if…?”), to be approached with exposure to uncertainty or defusion.
Generalised anxiety, numerous scattered worries. Duration: 15 min in session; daily sorting for one or two weeks.
References
Dugas, M. J. & Robichaud, M. (2007). Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment for Generalized Anxiety Disorder: From Science to Practice. Routledge.
Clark, D. A. & Beck, A. T. (2010). Cognitive Therapy of Anxiety Disorders: Science and Practice. Guilford.
These worksheets do not replace therapy. If you are in distress or having suicidal thoughts, call your local emergency number (112 in Europe; 3114 in France, free, 24/7).
Free worksheet for non-commercial use: you may share it with credit to the author, without modifying it (Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0 licence).
