Free CBT Worksheets for Anxiety & Worry

Worry often moves quickly between topics. A short diary can help you notice the situations that start it and the responses that keep it taking up time. You do not need to capture every thought or rate yourself constantly. Choose a few ordinary examples, record them briefly after the event, and review what repeats. The useful question is what happens around the worry, as well as what the worry says.

How to use it

1. Choose one or two moments a day for three days; a brief note is enough.
2. Record the trigger and the main “what if” thought in your own words.
3. Note worry intensity from 0-10 and your response: planning, checking, reassurance, avoidance or something else.
4. Notice the immediate effect and what happened later. Review patterns at the end of the three days.

A fictional worked example

At 5 pm, Aisha notices that tomorrow’s meeting has no agenda. Her thought is, “What if I am asked something and have no answer?” Worry is 7/10. She rereads old emails for 40 minutes and asks a colleague twice what the meeting is about. She feels briefly more prepared, then thinks of another possible question. Looking at three diary entries, she notices that missing information regularly starts a search for certainty. Her next step is to discuss a small experiment around ordinary uncertainty, rather than prepare answers to every possible meeting question.

Keep in mind

Keep notes brief. If recording every thought becomes another checking task, reduce the frequency or bring the diary to therapy. This diary is not a diagnostic test. A real, urgent problem still needs a practical response rather than being put aside as worry.

Worksheet prompts

• When and how often to record
• Situation / trigger
• Main worry; intensity 0 (none)-10 (most)
• What I did next
• Effect now / later
• Pattern noticed / next step

Reflect

Which response helped for a moment but left the worry returning later?

Sources: Dugas, M. J., Gagnon, F., Ladouceur, R., & Freeston, M. H. (1998). Generalized anxiety disorder: A preliminary test of a conceptual model. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 36(2), 215-226., NICE (2011, updated 2020). Generalised anxiety disorder and panic disorder in adults: management (CG113).

This individual episode map explores how the meaning given to uncertainty, worry and responses such as checking or mental rehearsal may keep a difficulty going. Immediate effects vary: a response can bring relief, more worry or little change. Later effects may leave uncertainty feeling threatening. The diagram is informed by intolerance-of-uncertainty approaches; it is not a reproduction of the full Dugas model.

How to use it

1. Choose one uncertain situation and record it briefly.
2. Write what not knowing seemed to mean, including any rule about needing certainty or being prepared.
3. Describe worry, feelings and sensations, then what you did in response.
4. Record the immediate and later effects, including what happened to worry and confidence in coping.
5. Read from top to bottom, then follow the return arrow. Which link fits your experience? Discuss a possible change separately; the change itself is not part of the maintaining cycle.

A fictional worked example

Ben sends an application and receives no reply. Not knowing feels like evidence that something has gone wrong. His rule is, “If I prepare for every outcome, I will not be caught out.” He worries about rejection, feels tense and checks his inbox repeatedly. Checking briefly gives him a sense of doing something, but the unanswered question remains. He puts off dinner with a friend because he feels he should keep preparing. The map highlights both the search for certainty and the cost to his evening. His first experiment may be leaving the inbox closed during dinner.

Keep in mind

This map is a possible explanation, not a diagnosis or a judgement. Include real pressures, discrimination, financial difficulties and caring demands where relevant. If worries are overwhelming or linked to a complex situation, develop the map with a therapist rather than trying to explain everything alone.

Worksheet prompts

• Uncertain situation: What was I unsure about?
• Meaning of uncertainty: What did not knowing seem to mean?
• Worry and feelings: What did my mind and body do?
• My response: What did I do to try to feel sure?
• Effect now and later: Did it help briefly? What happened to the worry later?

Reflect

How did my response affect my confidence in coping with not knowing?

Sources: Dugas, M. J., Gagnon, F., Ladouceur, R., & Freeston, M. H. (1998). Generalized anxiety disorder: A preliminary test of a conceptual model. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 36(2), 215-226., Hebert, E. A., & Dugas, M. J. (2019). Behavioral experiments for intolerance of uncertainty: Challenging the unknown in the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, 26(2), 421-436. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cbpra.2018.07.007

Some worries point to a current problem that needs action. Others ask for certainty about a future possibility that cannot be settled now. The same concern can contain both. Sorting them can help you choose a useful next step: act on what is within reach, or make room for an unanswered question while returning to your day. A practical step does not need to remove all anxiety to be worthwhile.

How to use it

1. Write the concern as one sentence. Is there a current problem, or mainly an uncertain possibility?
2. For a practical problem, define a manageable goal and list two possible actions.
3. Choose one action, when you will do it and any help needed.
4. For a hypothetical worry, name what remains uncertain and an activity to return to. Review after taking action.

A fictional worked example

Leah worries, “What if I cannot afford next month’s bills and everything falls apart?” There is a practical part: she has not checked the dates of two payments. She plans 15 minutes on Saturday to review those dates and contact the provider if needed. There is also an uncertain part: she cannot guarantee that no unexpected cost will arise. After making her plan, she notices the urge to keep calculating worst cases. She writes, “The next action is scheduled; the rest is uncertainty,” and returns to cooking. She can review the practical plan when she has new information.

Keep in mind

Do not postpone immediate safety needs, safeguarding concerns, urgent bills or medical care because you label a concern “worry”. Seek practical support where needed. If sorting worries turns into prolonged analysis, use a brief time limit and discuss the pattern with a therapist.

Worksheet prompts

• My worry, briefly
• Choose one useful action
• What cannot be settled now?
• Act now or schedule a step
• How to leave the uncertainty unresolved
• Return to a chosen activity

Reflect

Did I move towards a workable action, or try to obtain complete certainty?

Sources: NHS Every Mind Matters. Tackling your worries. Accessed 24 October 2026., Dugas, M. J., Gagnon, F., Ladouceur, R., & Freeston, M. H. (1998). Generalized anxiety disorder: A preliminary test of a conceptual model. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 36(2), 215-226.

Trying to remove every doubt can gradually make uncertainty feel less manageable. A behavioural experiment offers a different kind of learning: testing a specific prediction in an ordinary situation. The target is your belief about what uncertainty means or what you can cope with, not a promise that nothing disappointing will ever happen. Begin with a safe, low-stakes choice that fits your circumstances and review the result with curiosity.

How to use it

1. Choose an everyday uncertainty and write exactly what you predict will happen; rate belief 0-100%.
2. Select one certainty-seeking habit to reduce, such as asking a second person to confirm an ordinary choice.
3. Plan a small, safe experiment and what you will observe. Keep necessary preparation.
4. Try it, record the outcome and your coping, then update the belief and choose a next step.

A fictional worked example

Imran usually asks three friends whether an everyday email sounds acceptable. His prediction is, “If I send it after one reasonable check, I will make a mistake I cannot handle,” believed 80%. He chooses a low-stakes email asking about a hobby group and checks only the date and meaning once. He feels uncertain afterwards but attends to another task. The organiser replies with the information he needs. Imran notices that uncertainty did not prevent action. He also decides that a minor misunderstanding could be clarified. One email cannot establish a universal rule, so he plans another modest test.

Keep in mind

Use ordinary, low-stakes situations. Do not experiment with road safety, medication, medical advice, safeguarding, major financial decisions or necessary professional checks. If reducing reassurance feels unmanageable, plan the task with a therapist. Feeling some uncertainty is expected; severe deterioration calls for review and support.

Worksheet prompts

• Situation / belief about uncertainty (0-100%)
• Prediction / another possibility
• My task / habit to change / safeguards
• What happened / how I coped
• Learning / belief now (0-100%)
• Next step

Reflect

What did this teach me about coping when certainty is unavailable?

Sources: Dugas, M. J., et al. (2022). Behavioral experiments for intolerance of uncertainty: A randomized clinical trial for adults with generalized anxiety disorder. Behavior Therapy, 53(6), 1147-1160.

People often dislike worry and still believe it helps them care, prepare or prevent mistakes. It can be useful to separate repeated mental rehearsal from the practical actions that actually help. This exercise explores one belief using an everyday task. It does not ask you to stop caring or abandon preparation. You are examining whether extra worry adds useful information after a reasonable plan is in place.

How to use it

1. Complete the sentence: “Worry helps me because…” and rate belief 0-100%.
2. Choose a low-stakes task and define the practical preparation it reasonably needs.
3. Predict what will happen if you do that preparation without deliberately continuing the mental rehearsal.
4. Afterwards compare preparation, repeated worry, outcome and coping. Consider other explanations before drawing conclusions.

A fictional worked example

Maya believes, “If I keep worrying about a family visit, I will remember everything,” at 85%. She plans the necessary preparation: check the time, choose food and write a short shopping list. Her prediction is that leaving further rehearsal alone will mean forgetting something important. She notices worry returning, acknowledges it and goes back to her evening rather than trying to force the thought away. The next day she forgets napkins, borrows some and still enjoys the visit. She learns that useful preparation and flexible coping mattered; continuing to worry was not the same as being caring or organised.

Keep in mind

Do not deliberately increase distress to create a comparison day. Use observations of your usual pattern and a low-stakes alternative. Keep responsibilities and necessary checks. If the exercise becomes a rule that you must never worry, discuss this in therapy and adjust it.

Worksheet prompts

• Belief about worry / prediction (0-100%)
• What I did / usual pattern
• What it contributed to the task
• Outcome and how I coped
• What I learned / what is still uncertain

Reflect

What did useful action contribute, and what did repeated worry contribute?

Sources: Dugas, M. J., Gagnon, F., Ladouceur, R., & Freeston, M. H. (1998). Generalized anxiety disorder: A preliminary test of a conceptual model. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 36(2), 215-226., Dugas, M. J., et al. (2022). Behavioral experiments for intolerance of uncertainty: A randomized clinical trial for adults with generalized anxiety disorder. Behavior Therapy, 53(6), 1147-1160.

A planned worry-review period can be a practical way to choose when to engage with recurring worries. It is an optional attentional strategy, alongside a wider CBT plan, rather than the defining intervention in the intolerance-of-uncertainty model. When a worry appears, you can note it briefly and return to your task while allowing the thought to be there. The aim is more choice about engagement, not suppressing thoughts or achieving a perfectly quiet mind.

How to use it

1. Choose a brief review period, around 10-15 minutes, at a time that does not disrupt sleep.
2. When hypothetical worry appears, note a few words and gently return attention to what you were doing.
3. At review time, look only at worries still relevant. Use practical problem solving where action is possible.
4. End at the agreed time and return to an activity. Review whether the approach helps; adapt or stop if it leads to more repetitive thinking.

A fictional worked example

Tom notices several worries while studying. He writes “exam result” once and reminds himself that he can review it at 6 pm. The thought returns; he does not argue with it or repeatedly add it to the list. He gently returns to the paragraph in front of him. At 6 pm the exam result is still uncertain, but a separate worry about revision has a practical next step. He plans one topic for tomorrow and ends the review. His mind is not completely calm, but he has spent more of the afternoon studying instead of wrestling with every prediction.

Keep in mind

Do not defer urgent action, medical needs or genuine threats. Avoid repeatedly recording the same worry or using review time for extended worst-case rehearsal. If this approach worsens worry, sleep or distress, stop and discuss alternatives. It is not required for everyone with GAD.

Worksheet prompts

• Review time and brief duration
• Activity to return to after the review
• Brief worry note
• Activity I returned to
• At review: action or uncertainty?
• What helped me re-engage?
• What to change / whether to stop

Reflect

Did this increase flexibility, or become another demand to control my thoughts?

Sources: NHS Every Mind Matters. Tackling your worries. Accessed 24 October 2026.

Worry may increase during change, stress or tiredness, even after useful progress. Planning for this can help you respond without treating a difficult week as failure. Your plan should draw on what you have actually learned, including which experiments helped and which strategies became another form of checking. Choose a few practical reminders and a clear support route. You do not need a plan that prevents every anxious thought.

How to use it

1. Summarise the worry cycle you now recognise and the changes that made a difference.
2. Identify upcoming pressures and your early signs of returning to certainty-seeking.
3. Choose a small response: practical action, an uncertainty experiment, or reconnecting with an activity.
4. Agree a review date and signs that mean you will ask for more support. Keep the plan somewhere accessible.

A fictional worked example

After several useful weeks, Noor starts a new job and notices herself asking colleagues repeatedly whether she is doing well. Her warning sign is reopening the same question after a clear answer. Her plan is to clarify actual expectations in supervision, then practise leaving everyday uncertainty unanswered between reviews. She keeps one weekly note about what she has learnt rather than tracking every worry. If checking starts taking substantial time again or she is avoiding work, she will contact her therapist or GP. She writes, “More worry during change is a cue to use my learning and ask for support.”

Keep in mind

A setback plan supports continuing care; it is not a substitute for assessment if your needs change. Seek additional help when worry substantially affects sleep, daily functioning or safety. For people aged 16-17, agree an age-appropriate support plan with a suitably qualified professional.

Worksheet prompts

• What I have learned
• If I notice...
• A small response I can use
• Support / when to review
• Helpful habits to keep
• Support / when to ask for help
• Review date / reminder

Reflect

What would I say to myself during a difficult week that is both kind and practical?

Sources: Dugas, M. J., Gagnon, F., Ladouceur, R., & Freeston, M. H. (1998). Generalized anxiety disorder: A preliminary test of a conceptual model. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 36(2), 215-226., NICE (2011, updated 2020). Generalised anxiety disorder and panic disorder in adults: management (CG113).

Worry can pull attention away from what we are doing. Attention practice means noticing this and gently choosing where to place your attention next. The aim is flexibility and participation, not an empty mind or immediate relief from anxiety.

How to use it

1. Pick a safe, ordinary task you want to take part in. Start briefly; adapt the activity to your senses, energy and concentration.
2. Choose a few details of the task to notice, without needing to scan for every detail.
3. When the mind wanders, acknowledge it and return to the activity. You do not need to push the thought away or repeat a phrase perfectly.
4. Record participation and learning afterwards. Practise occasionally rather than whenever you need certainty that you are calm.

In the editable PDF, replace or delete each fictional example. Your notes stay in your saved copy and are not sent to this website.

A fictional example

Before a meeting, Sam notices repeated predictions about making a mistake. While making tea, he attends to the cup, the kettle sound and the sequence of the task. His mind wanders and he returns. The predictions are still there when he finishes; he has practised choosing an activity alongside worry rather than waiting until he feels ready.

Keep in mind

Do not practise during driving, crossing roads or any task needing undivided safety attention. This is not a way to ignore an urgent problem or medical symptoms. Stop or change the exercise if it increases distress or disconnection, and discuss this with your therapist if needed.

Review your learning

Could I return to what I was doing, even with some worry present?

Sources informing this original worksheet: NICE (2011, updated 2020). Generalised anxiety disorder and panic disorder in adults: management. CG113.; Centre for Clinical Interventions. Worry and rumination: overview of attention practice within CBT self-help.. These sources do not endorse the resource.