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I have an appointment
with you at six.
You can't stop worries arriving. You can stop chasing each one the second it lands. Give worry a fixed slot in the day — and outside that slot, park it and carry on. Most worries, met at their appointment, have quietly lost their urgency.
Same 15–20 minutes daily, same place. Not near bedtime. Early evening works well.
A worry shows up? Jot one line, tell it "at six," and return to what you were doing.
At worry time, read the list and worry on purpose. Notice how many no longer bite.
Solvable → a small next step. Unsolvable → let it be, and close the slot on time.
Stimulus-control treatment of worry — Borkovec, Wilkinson, Folensbee & Lerman (1983), Behaviour Research and Therapy 21(3). Described in our own words. Not endorsed by the original authors.
MODERATE, a well-replicated part of CBT for worry; untested in Indian samples. A self-help tool, not therapy. If worry is constant, stops you sleeping or functioning, that's worth professional help — Tele-MANAS 14416, free, 24×7.