Technique
Draft — not clinically reviewed yetWorry postponement
Contain rumination by scheduling a daily worry time — note topics and return to them later, not on repeat all day.
Source: Sokol & Fox (2019), The Comprehensive Clinician's Guide to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
For learning and reflection — not diagnosis or treatment. Willow isn't your therapist or crisis line. Based on Sokol & Fox (2019). In crisis? See crisis resources or findahelpline.com.
When to use it
Best for generalized worry — the same themes looping all day — rather than a single acute situation (use a thought record for that).
Setup
1. Pick a daily worry time — same place, ~15–20 minutes, not right before sleep if possible. 2. When worry intrudes outside that window, write a few words on the topic and say you'll return at worry time. 3. At worry time, review the list. For each item: problem-solve if actionable, or use Socratic questions if it's hypothetical.
What it trains
Your brain learns worries have a container — reducing the habit of scanning for threat every hour.
Limits
Not a substitute for treatment of GAD, OCD, or trauma-related rumination. See Worry for when to involve a clinician.
Try it next
Pick a time tomorrow for worry time — Willow will help you script what to say when worry pops up early.
From the guide
Note the topic briefly and return to it at the scheduled time — the concern is not dismissed, only deferred.
— Worry postponement; Sokol & Fox (2019), The Comprehensive Clinician's Guide to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
From the guide
We couldn't pull book excerpts right now. The summary above still follows the same source material.
Related topics
Practice this with Willow
Open chat with a starter prompt for this topic. Same skills and safety rules as always.
Start in chat