A Worry Window

For when worries leak into everything. You can't focus, sleep, or enjoy anything because your brain keeps returning to the same anxious loop

Steps

Pick a fixed 15-minute 'worry window' at the same time each day, ideally not right before bed. This is when worrying is allowed
When a worry pops up outside the window, don't argue with it. Jot it in a note ('deadline, mum's health') and tell yourself: 'Not now. I'll get to you at 6'
At your window, read the list and actually let yourself worry. Most items feel smaller in daylight; some have already sorted themselves
For anything still live, ask: 'What is one tiny thing in my control?' Do it or schedule it. The rest goes back on the list
When the 15 minutes are up, close the note and change your state: stand up, music, cold water. The window is shut

What you need

A notes app or scrap of paper, a 15-minute slot, a timer

Why it works

Rumination thrives on 'I must deal with this NOW'. Postponing to a set window keeps the worry from being suppressed (which backfires) while stripping away its urgency. By the time the window arrives, the emotional charge has usually faded and the thinking brain is back online. It's a core CBT technique, and it suits neurodivergent brains because it externalises the loop onto paper instead of relying on willpower.

Age guidance

Adults and older teens.

Real-world example

An autistic adult lay awake most nights cycling through the same three worries. They started keeping a worry note by the bed and a 6pm window. Writing 'work email, dentist, money' and promising to revisit it let them actually sleep, and by 6pm two of the three had already resolved themselves.

Troubleshooting

If a worry genuinely can't wait ('the appointment is in an hour'), that's a task, not a worry, so do the next small step now
If you can't stop at 15 minutes, set a second alarm and physically leave the spot where you worry
If night-time is worst, keep the note by the bed: 'written down' tells the brain it is safe to let go until morning