To train my ability to timebox rumination and be more deliberately present throughout the day, I’ve been experimenting with scheduling time to worry.
My protocol looks something like this: Schedule a consistent time and place to worry (e.g., 4:45-5:00pm on my couch)
As worries arise throughout the day:
- If they’re ruminative, jot down in notebook along with the associated cognitive distortion
- If it’s appropriate to jump into problem-solving mode, I’ll time-box finding a solution and then move on (3-10 minutes usually does the trick)
During my “worry time” (15 minutes)
- Separate worries into what I can control and what I can’t control
- For what I can control — hop into problem-solving mode and identify concrete next steps
- For what I can’t control
- Practice acceptance (e.g., “what would I tell a friend?“)
- If appropriate, take a lesson away for the future
- This “worry time” can also be a great time to think about what types of thoughts are recurring and worth addressing more directly.