Generalised Anxiety (GAD) worksheets
15 evidence-based resources for Generalised Anxiety (GAD). Preview any worksheet, then assign it to a client as an interactive digital worksheet.
Written by Tarun Vermani, Trainee Clinical Psychologist Last reviewed
Worry is the engine of generalised anxiety, and the two most fully articulated CBT accounts of it are both represented here in depth. Wells' metacognitive model (1995) treats beliefs about worry itself — its uncontrollability, its danger, its usefulness — as the maintaining mechanism: the GAD Metacognitive Formulation maps Type 1 and Type 2 worry, supported by belief-testing experiments, worry classification, and detached mindfulness practice records. The intolerance-of-uncertainty account developed by Dugas and colleagues frames worry as an attempt to eliminate uncertainty rather than tolerate it: the Intolerance of Uncertainty Formulation leads naturally into uncertainty exposure and tolerance practice.
Alongside the model-specific work sit the workhorse tools of GAD treatment — a worry diary with postponement, the worry decision tree, and an applied relaxation practice record. Both models are free to explore as interactive, referenced diagrams: Wells' metacognitive model and the intolerance-of-uncertainty model.
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Showing 15 of 15 resources
Generalised Anxiety (GAD)
GAD Metacognitive Formulation (Wells)
A formulation based on Wells' metacognitive model of GAD — mapping the role of positive and negative beliefs about worry in maintaining the worry cycle.
Generalised Anxiety (GAD)
Worry Decision Tree
Work through a structured process to decide whether a worry is practical (take action) or hypothetical (practise letting go).
Generalised Anxiety (GAD)
Worry Classification Worksheet
Learn to distinguish between practical worries (that you can act on) and hypothetical worries (that are about "what if") to respond differently to each.
Generalised Anxiety (GAD)
Worry Diary with Postponement Record
Track worries as they occur, classify them, practise postponing hypothetical worries to a designated worry period, and record outcomes.
Generalised Anxiety (GAD)
Tolerating Uncertainty Practice
Practise noticing and tolerating everyday uncertainty to build your tolerance muscle.
Generalised Anxiety (GAD)
Positive Meta-Beliefs About Worry
Identify and challenge positive beliefs about worrying — the beliefs that keep you worrying because you think it helps.
Generalised Anxiety (GAD)
Negative Meta-Beliefs About Worry
Identify and challenge negative beliefs about worry — the beliefs that worry is uncontrollable or dangerous.
Generalised Anxiety (GAD)
Intolerance of Uncertainty Formulation (Dugas)
A formulation based on Dugas' intolerance of uncertainty model — mapping IU, positive beliefs about worry, negative problem orientation, and cognitive avoidance.
Generalised Anxiety (GAD)
Attention Training Practice Record
Track Attention Training Technique (ATT) practice sessions with focus ratings and observations.
Generalised Anxiety (GAD)
Detached Mindfulness Practice Record
Track detached mindfulness practice — learning to observe thoughts and worries without engaging with or trying to control them.
Generalised Anxiety (GAD)
Uncertainty Exposure Hierarchy
Build a hierarchy of situations involving uncertainty, ranked by distress, to guide graded exposure to tolerating not knowing.
Generalised Anxiety (GAD)
Applied Relaxation Practice Record
Track applied relaxation practice through the stages: progressive muscle relaxation, release-only, cue-controlled, differential, and rapid relaxation.
Generalised Anxiety (GAD)
Metacognitive Belief-Testing
Test out a belief you hold about a thinking habit such as worry or rumination - examining how necessary, helpful, and controllable that habit really is.
Generalised Anxiety (GAD)
GAD Longitudinal Formulation
A developmental map of how worry took root and how it is kept going - tracing early experiences and beliefs through to the worry cycles that maintain anxiety today.
Generalised Anxiety (GAD)
Why Anxiety Keeps Going: The Vicious Cycle
An explainer on how avoidance and safety behaviours bring short-term relief but keep anxiety going in the long run, and how facing fears gently breaks the cycle.
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Request a worksheetFrequently asked questions
Which CBT models do these GAD worksheets follow?
Two models are represented in depth: Wells' metacognitive model of GAD (1995), which targets beliefs about worry itself, and the intolerance-of-uncertainty model developed by Dugas and colleagues, which treats difficulty tolerating uncertainty as the core vulnerability. Each has its own formulation worksheet plus matching intervention records, so you can work within whichever formulation fits your client.
What is the best worksheet for excessive worry?
There is no single best worksheet — it depends on your formulation. The Worry Diary with Postponement Record is the most common starting point: it establishes the pattern and introduces stimulus control. From there, worry classification and metacognitive belief-testing suit a Wells-style formulation, while the uncertainty exposure hierarchy suits an intolerance-of-uncertainty approach.
Can clients keep a worry diary online between sessions?
Yes. Assign the worry diary — or any worksheet here — as an interactive digital worksheet and your client completes it on any device between sessions. You review their responses before the next appointment, and every worksheet also exports as a print-ready PDF if a client prefers paper.
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