THE BENEFITS OF WORRY TIME

Fretting over life’s anxieties is something that we’re often encouraged not to do, but as those stressful feelings build up, they can be hard to avoid. Rather than ignoring what’s troubling you, it may help to let those concerns out.

“Worry time can be an effective technique whereby a person is encouraged to set aside time specifically to work through their concerned thoughts,” explains Nancy Sokarno, a psychologist from digital mental health company, Lysn.

“While it might sound counterintuitive, scheduling an allotted time to think about the things that are worrying you can mean you are able to manage your thoughts for the rest of the day.”

HOW IT WORKS

limiting your worry time to 15 minutes. “Set an alarm so you don’t go overtime,” she advises. “Use that time to focus on the things that are making you feel anxious, read the news or process any new information. Some people like to write down any worries that pop into their head throughout the day and then when it’s worry time, refer to their list.”

Once your session is over, shift your focus to other things. “If you can, schedule in something fun at the end of it – perhaps it’s an episode of your favourite TV show or a snack break,” Nancy says.

NOTICE THE WARNING SIGNS

“There are some risks, especially if you find yourself turning to it as a technique on a regular basis,” says Nancy. Ideally, worry time should be done just once a day, when you don’t have other demands.

“Just make sure you don’t schedule worry time when you first wake up, or right before you’re going to bed,” she advises. “If you’re thinking about these things first thing in the morning, it could set you up for a pessimistic day. If you’re thinking about it before you go to bed, you might not sleep!”

HOW TO SEEK HELP

“If you give worry time a go but are finding that it isn’t helping to alleviate any feelings, consider talking to someone,” Nancy says.

“It could be a friend or a loved one, or seeking help from a professional. Places like Beyond Blue (1300 224 636) and Lifeline (13 11 14) offer free over-the-phone counselling, and services like Lysn (welysn.com) offer appointments with a psychologist from the comfort of your own home.”