What is a Worry Tree?

What is a Worry Tree?

Activity aim:

To reflect on the experience of worrying.

To practice putting aside our worries for a short while and notice what this feels like. To see the worries other people have shared, so we can see that we are not alone and that worrying is a common, necessary, and natural part of human experience.

We can mistakenly believe that we have no control over our tendency to worry, however we can take back control of this habit. To do so, it can be helpful to spend time thinking about things that seem threatening to us and build our problem-solving skills. We can also give ourselves permission to put our worries aside sometimes and take a break from them. After we have put them aside, we might find we no longer need to consider them because the threat has passed, or we have thought of a solution from our more centred and rested mind, or we realise that the thing we are worrying about is related to someone else who we have no control over, so we can begin to let go of their responsibility, or we might be in a more rested state and be ready to pick them up again. Alternatively, some people put a timer on and only allow themselves to worry for a set time, then stop. Another action people find helpful is sharing their worries with a counsellor or friend.

Procedure:

Today we invite you to reflect on a worry that occurs often and write it down and peg it to the Worry Tree. Following which you can then continue to engage in some of the other activities. While doing other activities, check in with how you are feeling and see if, perhaps, you feel a little lighter?

After you have pegged your worry and left it aside for a while you can choose to leave it behind, and let it go, or pick it back up if you feel you need too. Notice that with practice, at times we can put our worries aside for longer and longer. Important to notice that you can choose to worry if you want, or you can take a break and come back to it if you have too.