Coaching practices for How Do I Stop Worrying Over Something Serious That Might or Might Not Happen in the Future

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Does this sound like the set of challenges you might be facing?

• There are things I rehearse over and over that I simply cannot do anything about, and I keep treating "let it go" like a switch I should be able to flip once and get frustrated when the worry comes right back
• My worries all blur into one big undifferentiated dread, and I can’t tell which ones I could actually do something about right now and which are just what-ifs I’m powerless over
• A worry pops up in the middle of something I’m trying to do and I feel like I have to deal with it right this second or I’ll lose it forever
• My worrying feels like it should be productive, but it just blurs the things I could actually do something about together with the what-ifs I can’t touch, so I end up churning on all of it
• The worrying never clocks out

Practices that may help

1. Practice letting unsolvable worries be
   For worries you cannot act on, build the skill of acknowledging and releasing rather than rehearsing.
   Worry Postponement, Made Practical
2. Classify the worry as current or hypothetical
   Ask: "Is this a real problem happening now, or a what-if scenario?"
   The Worry Tree
3. Contain worry in a designated worry period
   Defer non-urgent worry to a fixed 20-minute window later in the day.
   The Worry Tree
4. Separate solvable worries from unsolvable ones
   Triage each worry into "act on it" or "let it go," and treat each kind differently.
   Worry Postponement, Made Practical
5. Contain worry with a scheduled worry period
   Assign worry a 20-minute daily window — and redirect it there the rest of the day.
   Accepting Uncertainty: The Core Skill in CBT for GAD
6. Convert worry into a concrete plan
   For actionable worries, replace the loop with a specific if-then plan.
   Worry Postponement, Made Practical
7. Practice letting go of hypothetical worries
   For what-if worries you cannot act on, acknowledge them and gently redirect attention.
   The Worry Tree
8. Productive Problem-Solving vs. Worry
   Distinguish solvable worries — which need a plan — from hypothetical ones — which need acceptance or defusion.
   Worry Time: Containing Anxiety With Scheduled Worry
9. Cognitive Defusion: Creating Distance from Worry Thoughts
   Use defusion techniques to observe worries rather than being fused with them.
   Worry Time: Containing Anxiety With Scheduled Worry
10. Check for catastrophizing
    Test whether you are amplifying the likely outcome beyond what the evidence supports.
    Check the Facts, Made Practical

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