You don’t have “too much anxiety.” You have unscheduled anxiety.
Right now, your worries walk into your mind whenever they want.
That’s the real problem.
The fix is simple: don’t fight them. Schedule them.
Here’s your 15-minute “Worry Window” Protocol:
1. Catch & Park
A dark thought hits at 10:00 AM.
You don’t fight with it.
You write it in a “Worry Note” and tell yourself:
“I’m not ignoring this. I’ll handle it at 4:45 PM.”
Then you return to work.
2. Book the Slot
Set a daily alarm for a 15-minute window.
Example: 4:45–5:00 PM.
This is your fixed meeting with your anxiety.
Treat it like a client you can’t cancel on.
3. Worry on Purpose
When the alarm rings, open your note.
Read each worry.
Let yourself think it through, fully and deliberately.
You stay with it for the full 15 minutes.
You are training your brain to face the thoughts, not run from them.
4. Hard Stop
Timer ends. Meeting over.
Close the notebook. Stand up. Move.
No, “just 2 more minutes.”
Outside the window, you don’t engage.
Why Worry Window Protocol Works
This is a practical version of “scheduled worry” from cognitive-behavioural therapy, combined with time-boxing and Stoic focus on what you can control.
- You trap anxiety in one time slot, instead of letting it leak into your whole day.
- You break the link between bed/desk = worry zone (Stimulus Control).
- You use time pressure to force your brain to filter what truly matters (Parkinson’s Law).
- Over days, your brain learns: “Most of these fears don’t deserve full-day access.”
How to Measure It
Track your Dismissal Rate for 7 days.
At 4:45 PM, when you read what you wrote at 10:00 AM, ask:
“Is this still scary?”
Day 1: Maybe 90% still feels heavy.
Day 7: You’ll see most of them lost their power.
That’s the shift.
You stop being driven by your thoughts.
You start managing them.
Set your alarm for 4:45 PM today.
Run the experiment for 7 days and see what changes.
Note: This is a self-management tool, not medical advice.
If your anxiety is chronic or crippling, please seek professional help.
We designed this “Worry Window” as one small piece of a bigger system for mental toughness.
If you want to go beyond DIY tools and build a structured framework to handle anxiety, overthinking, and self-doubt, DM me or you can explore IntuiWell’s Personal Growth program.
We work with high-performing professionals who want calm minds, clear decisions, and sustainable high performance.