Exercise – Worry Log

​

Grab a pen and paper or if you have a PC, click here for a printable version of this exercise:

 

 

 

 

We all worry about things, it’s human nature.    

 

But when you worry, you put your body, mind, emotions, and nervous system in a state of stress that increases your cortisol levels, which can lead to health problems.

 

Studies have shown that 85% of the time, what we worry about isn't worth it, because it will never happen.

I'm not saying that your worries aren't valid.  The problem is that it's human nature to worry.  And most of the time we worry about things that are out of our control.  

​

So how can we stop worrying so much?

 

The easiest way is to learn how to be more accepting of things as they are, rather than being resistant to the way things are.  The first step is to recognize what you’re worrying about, and label it as either being a worry or a fact.  If it’s not factual in that moment, then push it aside. 

 

For the things in life that you can't control, you can either accept that something may happen, or you can make yourself sick with worry, even though it may not happen.

 

Your anxiety, stress, and fear will be higher if you worry about negative things that could happen, rather than just dealing with negative things as they occur.

 

You get to decide if you're going to spend time and energy worrying about something that you can't change, or if you're going to accept it and focus on what you can change.

 

I want you to start paying attention to how often you worry and notice what triggers it. We have provided you with a worry log below to keep track. 

 

Writing your negative thoughts down can help to get them out of your head so that you can take a step back and think about how much you’re allowing them to weigh on you.

​

WORRY LOG