1. Contain worry
If you find yourself worrying throughout the day, keep post-it notes or a journal nearby and write down worries as they come into your head.
Take the post-it notes and drop them in a container and secure a lid on top/close the journal.
Tell yourself that you will look at the worries at another time and leave them contained.
2. Schedule time for worry
Set a specific time daily or weekly to get out and look at the worries previously contained.
Set a specific amount of time that you will allow yourself to go through the worries (20 minutes max).
As you look at each worry, go through the next three steps.
3. Validate the worry
Anxiety often occurs when we get mixed messages about what is happening and how we feel about what is happening. Worry will decrease if we validate that how we are feeling is understandable.
As you look at the contained worry, tell yourself it makes sense that you would have that worry and why. Validating ourselves decreases worry.
4. Dispute the worry
Anxiety will decrease when evidence is found to show how the worry will not necessarily come true. Gather evidence to fight against the fear. This takes strength and time to do but is worth doing.
If evidence is hard to find, ask a professional for help disputing, talk to a pastor or spiritual leader, look up facts and statistics and use all of these messages to debate the worry.
5. Let go of the worry
After you have done these steps, let it go. Here are several ways you can try:
Take the piece of paper the worry was written on and tear it up.
Take the piece of paper, tear it up, and then throw it in a trashcan.
Picture the worry floating out of your brain, out a window or door, and on up into the sky.
Pretend to put your worry inside a balloon. Then picture the balloon floating away
Imagine yourself writing the worry out on a chalkboard and then picture erasing the worry with an eraser.