Why You May Want to Put “Worry Time” on Your Daily Schedule

Nearly everyone worries at some point—whether about family, work, health, or finances. Typically, worry involves thoughts about things that might happen in the future and whether you’ll be able to handle them. Maybe your worries are small, like fretting about finding time to fold laundry. Or maybe they’re larger, like worrying about having enough money to pay for your child’s college education.

Typical levels of worry shouldn’t interfere with daily life. But most people worry more than usual when facing something new, unknown, or challenging. And constant worry can affect sleep, concentration, work, and your ability to enjoy your free time.

“[Some] worriers worry throughout the day and often the night,” says Andrew Rosen, Ph.D., board-certified psychologist and founder and clinical director of the Center for Treatment of Anxiety and Mood Disorders in Delray Beach, Florida. “The worries have an endless loop and solve nothing. Often, there is no filter in terms of identifying which worries are important and which are not.”