Worry postponement: how to put a worry off until later

Not now. Later. It sounds too simple. Try it for a week and see what happens.

Updated October 15, 2026 · Informed by research on metacognitive therapy and on worry postponement

Worry postponement is one of the most useful tools for overthinking, and one of the least known. The idea is simple: when a worry turns up, you don’t fight it and you don’t follow it. You give it an appointment later in the day.

In metacognitive therapy, postponement is used as an experiment: a way to find out for yourself that worry can be put off, which tests the belief that it can’t be controlled. In a small randomised trial, people with long-standing, hard-to-control worry who were taught postponement this way worried less than people on a waiting list. A related idea comes from earlier behavioural research in the 1980s, known as stimulus control, which limited worry to a set time and place.

Why it works

Postponement quietly tests a belief most overthinkers hold: “once it starts, I can’t stop it.” Every time you put a worry off and it waits, you collect evidence that you can. And many people notice something surprising when the window arrives: the worry that felt so urgent at 11am barely seems worth the time at 5:30.

How to do it, step by step

1. Choose your window. Fifteen minutes, at the same time each day. Late afternoon or early evening works well. Avoid the hour before bed.
2. When a worry arrives, name its headline. Three or four words: “the money thing,” “what she meant.” Don’t unpack it.
3. Postpone it. Tell yourself: “Not now. At 5:30.” If it helps, jot the headline down or park it in our free postpone tool.
4. Let it stay in the background. You’re not trying to make the thought disappear. It can hang around like a cloud while you get on with your day. Just don’t start answering it.
5. When the window comes, you don’t have to use it. Glance at the headlines and notice how many no longer pull at you. If you want to, give one or two of them a few minutes. If a worry points to a real practical step, like booking an appointment, take that step at a normal time of day. That’s action, not worry.
6. When the time’s up, stop. Fifteen minutes, then carry on with your evening, even if there’s more you could think about.

Common snags

• “The worry keeps coming back.” Expected. Each return is another chance to practise: “that’s the money thing again. 5:30.” You’re not failing; you’re training.
• “I forgot to postpone and worried for an hour.” Notice it without judging, and postpone the next one. The skill is built over weeks, not in a day.
• “My window was empty.” That’s the point. Many people find there’s little left to worry about by the time the window arrives.
• “But this one is urgent.” If something needs a decision today, make the decision now, briefly, and then postpone the what-ifs. Postponement is for loops, not for emergencies.

Try it as a one-week experiment

Before you start, rate how much you believe “once I start worrying, I can’t stop,” from 0 to 100. Then postpone every worry for a week. Each evening, rate the belief again. Most people watch the number come down, because each postponed worry is a small piece of evidence against it. If yours doesn’t move, that’s useful to know too: it may be a sign to get some guided help.

What it isn’t

Postponement isn’t suppression. You’re not pushing the thought out of your head, which tends to backfire. You’re acknowledging it and choosing when to give it time. That small difference matters a great deal.

Common questions

This is self-help education, not therapy, and it isn’t a crisis service. If you’re thinking about ending your life or you’re not safe, call or text 988 in the US and Canada, call Samaritans on 116 123 in the UK and Ireland, or find a free line at findahelpline.com.

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