Why is it helpful to record your worries and how to do it

Why capture disturbing thoughts

Anxiety, doubts and worries are a natural part of life. We are all worried about finances, work, family problems, or something else. But there are times when anxiety starts to affect your daily life too much. For example, experiences wake you up in the middle of the night, or you cannot fall asleep in the evening, thinking about the future, or you are constantly replaying an unpleasant event in your head.

It doesn't matter what the anxiety is about, the body reacts in the same way - you feel psychologically drained. In this case, it is useful to keep a "diary of worries", that is, to write down your experiences on paper.

Recording anxiety makes it possible to think clearly and see the situation from the outside. By writing down everything that bothers you, you will break the vicious circle: you will stop repeating the same negative thoughts over and over again. Research confirms that journaling can help manage stress, improve mental health, and even strengthen the immune system.

If you start keeping an anxiety diary on a regular basis, you will notice what usually occupies your thoughts and how negative thinking patterns develop. After that, it will be easier to replace them with positive affirmations.

How to keep records

You may feel that you are drowning in a maelstrom of negative thoughts and are unable to control it. A diary will help you regain your sense of control. As soon as you notice that you are immersed in anxiety, grab a paper and a pen and write down what worries you. If you are going through a difficult period now and are constantly worried about a lot, set aside 5-10 minutes every day for such recordings.

After describing your worries, write down a list of solutions or steps to make you feel better. For example, divide the page into two columns, one for worrying thoughts and one for decisions. So you will see that at least part of the situation is in your hands and you can do something.

If your worries are in the future, try taking notes by answering questions like this:

How worried am I? (Rate your condition on a ten-point scale, where 10 is very anxious, 1 is calm.)
What worries me?
Is there any evidence that this could actually happen?
Is there any evidence that this will not happen?
What happens if this does happen?
What can I do to deal with this?
How worried am I now?

Also try to remember similar situations in the past. Write down what helped you get through them then what you learned. Perhaps you will see that in reality everything is not as scary as you now think. Or you will feel more confident, realizing that you have dealt with this before.