I couldn’t stop worrying until I learned the 6.30pm rule

The second half of 2011 was not a good time for me. Work was very stressful, a hoped-for summer romance had slowly fizzled out, my mother was unwell and I was missing my father. I found myself living in a state of high anxiety: I kept going to work and socialising, but even the smallest decision could trigger a panic.

After trying a few therapists, a friend recommended one whose consulting room, all Delft blues and earthy tones, felt calm. I told her how I’d been feeling and she said I could find a way out. When I was stuck in a vicious circle of overthinking she told me: “Tonight after 6.30pm is ‘No Worry Time.’” I asked what she meant and she said: “From 6.30pm until you wake up the next day, you’re not allowed to worry,” explaining that it would give my brain a rest and allow other parts of me to return.

She described anxiety as a bully that needed to be put in its place. I didn’t expect it to work, but I tried it.

anxiety, worry, panic, therapist, therapy, overthinking, 6.30pm rule, work stress, summer romance, sleep