Creating a Worry Diary

A worry diary helps you get worries out of your head and onto paper or a note on your phone.

The purpose is not to record every anxious thought forever. It is to spot patterns and decide which worries need action and which are mainly ‘what if?’ thoughts.

What should I write down?

When a worry keeps returning, note what you are worried about, when it appeared and what was happening at the time.

You can also record how strong it felt, what you did next and whether the worry was about a current problem or a possible future event.

Separate practical problems from hypothetical worries

Ask: is there something useful I can actually do about this?

If yes, write down the smallest next action and when you will do it. If no action is possible now, recognise that repeatedly thinking about it may not create more control.

Try a short ‘worry time’

Rather than analysing worries all day, you can set aside a short period to look at the diary.

If a worry appears earlier, make a brief note and remind yourself that you have a time to return to it. This can help reduce the feeling that every thought needs immediate attention.

Look for patterns after a week

Do worries increase at night, before work, after social media, when money is discussed or when you are tired?

Patterns can point towards triggers or practical changes worth exploring.

Do not turn the diary into another source of worry

You do not need perfect records, scores or lengthy explanations.

If writing repeatedly makes you dwell on worries more, shorten the exercise or use a different tool.

What should happen to the worries?

Some become action plans. Some become questions to ask another person. Some can simply be recognised as uncertainty you cannot resolve today.

The diary is useful when it helps you respond differently, not when it becomes a permanent catalogue of everything that might go wrong.

2.9: Managing Things You Can’t Control

11.5: Identifying Your Stress Triggers

11.8: Breaking Problems Into Manageable Steps

General information only. This is not a diagnosis or a substitute for professional healthcare advice.