The AHA! Moment – A 3-Step Technique to Handle Chronic Worry
If you struggle with persistent, intrusive worry, you’re not alone. Worry often shows up uninvited, lingers too long, and tries to convince you it’s protecting you. But the truth is, most worry is noise — not signal.
That’s why I want to introduce you to a simple but powerful technique: AHA!
This isn’t just a feel-good acronym — it’s a practical three-step method that consolidates core ideas from two of my recent posts into an actionable strategy.
AHA Stands For:
- Acknowledge and Accept – Become aware of the worry, name it, and let it be. [Read more on presence here.]
- Humour the Thought – Don’t take the worry so seriously. Treat it like your annoying neighbour – persistent, but harmless. [More on this idea here.]
- Activity – Carry on with your day, doing what matters most to you, while taking the worry along for the ride.
Step 1: Acknowledge and Accept
When worry hits, your instinct may be to push it away, resist it, or distract yourself. But the first step is simply to acknowledge it.
“Ah, here it is again — that same old worry.”
This doesn’t mean you like it. It doesn’t mean you approve of it. It just means you see it for what it is: a repetitive, automatic thought loop — like spam email for the brain.
Think of It Like Rain
Let’s say you planned a trip to the beach, but the forecast predicts rain. Pretending you didn’t hear the forecast won’t change the weather. You can either reschedule, or bring an umbrella. You acknowledge the forecast, and you adapt.
Worry is similar. You’ve heard the thought. Now accept it’s here — and move on with your plan.
Your Thoughts Are Not Your Fault
You didn’t choose the thought, and you can’t stop it just by wishing it away. But you can choose your reaction. Just as you would acknowledge a headache and wait for it to pass, you can acknowledge a worrisome thought without engaging with it.
A simple internal response like:
“Oh well.”
can be enough to keep you from falling into the worry trap.
You are the reader of your thoughts — not the author. You don’t need to edit the book. You just need to not believe every line.
Step 2: Humour the Thought
If a neighbour knocked on your door every day to tell you the world was ending, you’d eventually smile and nod, knowing not to take it seriously.
Worrying thoughts are just as repetitive and dramatic.
Try humoring them instead of fearing them. Respond with something like:
“Ah yes, here’s my brain trying to protect me again.”
“Thanks, mind — noted. Carry on.”
You’re not mocking your anxiety — you’re disengaging from it. This subtle shift allows you to stop feeding the thought with emotional energy.
Ask Yourself Two Grounding Questions:
- Is there a problem right now in my external world?
- If so, can I do something about it right now?
If either answer is no, then your worry isn’t rooted in reality — it’s bait. Don’t bite.
The true discomfort isn’t the problem your thoughts describe —
it’s your reaction to them.
And when you stop reacting, the worry loses its power.
Step 3: Activity
This is the crucial final step: carry on.
Your worry wants to hijack your day. Don’t let it.
Go for your walk. Clean the house. Work on your project. Meet your friend. Your thoughts can come along — they don’t get to drive.
Even if the worry is present, you can still live your life. It may be uncomfortable at first, but like a muscle, your ability to act despite anxiety will grow stronger with practice.
In Conclusion: Let Your AHA! Moment Begin
Use the AHA! technique as your go-to response to chronic worry:
- Acknowledge and Accept – Notice the thought. Name it. Let it be.
- Humour It – Treat it like the overly dramatic, noisy neighbour that it is.
- Activity – Keep going. Choose your actions, not your thoughts.
You may not stop worry from appearing — but you can stop it from taking over.
Let this simple strategy help you reclaim your peace of mind, one thought at a time.
For more information please get in touch here
Tim Grover - Bedfordshire Therapies 