Scheduled Worry Blocks
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A strategy for managing anxiety and worries by scheduling dedicated time blocks to address concerns, rather than letting them consume you throughout the day.
Core Concept
- Designate specific time blocks for worrying about concerns
- Example: Sunday 3-8 PM as dedicated "worry time"
- Compartmentalize concerns instead of letting them bleed into every moment
- Similar to meditation concept of acknowledging thoughts but not engaging with them constantly
Implementation Process
- Make a list of current life concerns/uncertainties
- Could include: relationships, business, podcast, etc.
- Set aside specific time to address these concerns
- Outside of worry time:
- Acknowledge the concerns exist
- Mentally "place them in a cloud above you"
- Step away from the cloud until designated worry time
- Return to concerns only during scheduled blocks
Benefits
- Prevents concerns from:
- Feeding into every moment
- Becoming underlying anxiety
- Plaguing you constantly
- Creates structure around addressing problems
- Allows focused attention on concerns when appropriate
- Helps maintain mental clarity rest of time
Similar Applications
- Can apply same concept to "searching time" for life direction
- Set specific timeframes (e.g., 3 months) for exploration
- Evaluate progress at end of period
- Either extend search time or move forward with findings
- Can close off opportunities during non-search periods
- Example: Turning off Twitter DMs when not actively seeking opportunities
- "No new friends" periods when social circle is settled
The key is creating boundaries around when you allow yourself to worry or search, rather than letting these activities consume all your time and mental energy.
Sam Parr
Host of MFM and fitness influencer
Sam Parr is a serial entrepreneur and business media pioneer.
In 2016, he founded The Hustle, a business news media company that started in his kitchen with just $12 and grew to eight figures in revenue.
Sam led the charge in making newsletters popular when few believed in their potential.
After four successful years, he sold The Hustle to HubSpot, a publicly traded company. Now operating as HubSpot Media, The Hustle reaches 3 million readers daily, employs a team of nearly 100, and has been the launchpad for dozens of its staff to found their own media companies and newsletters.
Sam remains the host of the popular business podcast, My First Million, and continues to start and sell companies. He also co-founded Hampton, a highly vetted community for entrepreneurs, founders, and CEOs, and teaches people to write better through his platform, Copy That.