Free tools you can use right now
Everything below runs right here in your browser, nothing to install and nothing to sign up for. Use them, print them, come back to them. They are practical self-help, not a diagnosis or a substitute for professional care.
Long-exhale breathing timer
When anxiety is high, a slow breath with a longer exhale sends your nervous system a signal of safety. Follow the circle: breathe in as it grows, hold briefly, and breathe out slowly as it shrinks. A minute or two is enough to take the edge off.
Interactive thought record
The core CBT tool. Catch an anxious thought, weigh it against the evidence, and land on something more balanced. Fill it in, then print or save it. Nothing you type leaves your device.
Worry sorter
Not all worry is the same. One kind deserves a plan. The other only responds to letting go. Sort yours in one question.
Is there a specific action you could take about this today or tomorrow?
This is a solvable problem
A worry with a plan is not a worry anymore, it is a task, and tasks end. Answer these, then give yourself permission to stop thinking about it until your chosen time.
Once it is scheduled, it is handled. There is nothing useful left to think about until then.
This is an unsolvable worry, for now
If there is genuinely nothing you can do right now, more thinking cannot help. The only useful move is to practice letting the question stay open. That feels wrong at first, and it is exactly the skill that quiets worry at its root.
Try this: "I cannot know this, and I am willing to not know it, and I can handle it if and when it becomes real." Then turn your attention to the next real thing in front of you. The discomfort will rise, peak, and fall on its own if you do not feed it.
5-4-3-2-1 grounding
When a spiral pulls you into the abstract, your senses are the way back to the present, where the feared thing almost never is. Name each one slowly. Check them off as you go.
Nicely done. You are here, in this room, right now. Notice how the present feels a little steadier than the spiral.
A gentle overthinking self-check
This is a short, private reflection to help you notice how much overthinking is showing up in your life lately. It is not a diagnosis or a screening test, and only a qualified professional can assess what is really going on. Over the last two weeks, how often has each been true?
If your answers concern you, or you are struggling, please read Get Help. If you are in crisis, contact a crisis line right away; in the US you can call or text 988.
Real, non-commercial resources
Trustworthy places to learn more or find support. These are government health bodies, professional organizations, and nonprofits. They are free and do not sell you anything.
Understanding anxiety and worry
Therapy and self-help skills
Sleep, OCD, and depression
If you need to talk to someone
- 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline (US)
- Samaritans (UK and Ireland)
- Our Get Help page