The Worry Trial
Thirty sessions that put anxious thoughts on trial: catch it, weigh the evidence, test it.
A 30-session guided journaling program from the Journal for iPad app. The first week is free below.
Who it's for
“The same worry runs on a loop and telling myself to relax has never once worked.”
How it works
- One session at a time, in order. Week two only works if week one is written.
- Sessions 8, 15 and 22 open with a checkpoint on your own answers.
- Weeks three and four ask you to test and plan, not just to write.
- This is a writing programme, not treatment. If the worry is running your life, take these pages to a professional.
The route
- Week One · Catch It — The exact sentence, the trigger, the hour. (7 sessions)
- Week Two · Weigh It — Evidence both ways, then a verdict. (7 sessions)
- Week Three · Test It — Small experiments against real life. (7 sessions)
- Week Four · Your Rules — Signals, a plan, and what to do when it returns. (9 sessions)
Before you start
Answer these three questions on the first page:
- What is the worry costing me right now?
- What would a quieter month look like, specifically?
- When will I write — and what do I do on a bad day?
Week one — free
Day 1 · Today's loudest worry
What worried you most today? Write it as the sentence it actually said in your head.
- What time of day was it loudest?
- What was I doing when it started?
Day 2 · The list
List every worry from the last three days. Don't rank them, just get them down.
- Which of these are about the same thing?
- Which one is here every single day?
Day 3 · Fact or forecast
Take today's worry. Is it about something that happened, or something that might?
- What is the actual fact underneath it?
- How many times has this forecast come true before?
Day 4 · The body first
Where did you feel today's worry before you had words for it?
- What does that sensation usually mean for me?
- How long did it last?
Day 5 · The trigger
What set it off today — a message, a silence, a number, a person?
- Would it have landed the same way last month?
- What was I already carrying when it arrived?
Day 6 · The rules of the day
What did you avoid today because of the worry?
- What did the avoiding cost me?
- What did it save me from, honestly?
Day 7 · One week of thoughts
Read this week back and write the worry you had most often, word for word.
- Whose voice does it sound like?
- What would I call this worry, as a name?
What comes next
The rest of the program is inside the app:
- Day 8 · Evidence for
- Day 9 · Evidence against
- Day 10 · The worst case, written out
- Day 11 · The likely case
- Day 12 · The double standard
- Day 13 · The cost of the worry
- Day 14 · The verdict
- Day 15 · The worry window
- Day 16 · What actually happened
- Day 17 · The small test
- Day 18 · The result
- Day 19 · Uncertainty
- Day 20 · Reassurance
- Day 21 · The night version
- Day 22 · The early signals
- Day 23 · The plan for the signal
- Day 24 · What helps, tested
- Day 25 · The conversation
- Day 26 · The avoided thing
- Day 27 · The letter to the worry
- Day 28 · The relapse plan
- Day 29 · The fairer sentence
- Day 30 · Quieter
Continue The Worry Trial in Journal for iPad
All sessions laid out as pages you write on with Apple Pencil or keyboard, with checkpoints and a closing session.
Frequently asked questions
How long does The Worry Trial take?
30 written sessions, one a day. Most sessions take 10–15 minutes. If you miss a day, simply continue with the next session.
Can I do the first week for free?
Yes — the first 7 sessions are on this page. Write them in any notebook or in the Journal for iPad app.
Where are the rest of the sessions?
The full program, with checkpoints and a closing session, is inside the Journal for iPad app, laid out as ready-to-write pages.