🌳 CBT Decision Filter

Worry Tree: Free Interactive CBT Worry Tool

Sort a worry in a few steps: is it something you can act on now? If yes, plan one small step. If not, practise letting it go for now.

Step 1: What is the worry?


How to use the worry tree

  1. Notice the worry and write it down as specifically as you can.
  2. Ask: “Can I do something about this?”
  3. If yes: decide what you can do and when. Do it now, or schedule it — then let the worry go until then.
  4. If no (a “what if” about the future, or something outside your control): practise letting it go. Bring your attention back to what you are doing, take a few slow breaths, or save it for a set worry time.

Why it may help

The worry tree comes from the CBT self-help book Manage Your Mind by Gillian Butler and Tony Hope, and is widely used for generalised anxiety. It separates practical problems, which problem-solving can help with, from hypothetical worries, which going over and over rarely resolves. Sorting worries this way can make them feel more manageable and reduce time spent caught in “what if” loops.

Safety: when to stop or get help

If worry takes up a large part of most days, has lasted for months, or is affecting your sleep, work or relationships, speak to your doctor. Generalised anxiety disorder is common and treatable, and CBT is one of the most effective treatments.

Frequently asked questions

What is the worry tree?

A CBT flowchart that helps you decide whether a worry is something you can act on, and then either make a plan or practise letting it go.

What counts as a hypothetical worry?

A “what if” about something that may or may not happen, or something you cannot influence right now.

What if I can act, but not today?

Schedule a specific time to deal with it and write it down. Knowing when you will act makes it easier to let it rest until then.

Worry tree or worry time — which should I use?

Use the worry tree to sort a single worry. Use worry time to postpone the hypothetical ones to a set time each day.

Related tools and support

Written by Sudarshana, founder of InnerCalmGuide · Reviewed October 18, 2026 · Editorial policy. Self-help information, not medical advice.

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