Print it for a short mindfulness practice in therapy sessions, anxiety groups, or at home when worry and negative thoughts start to feel loud and difficult to leave alone. The handout gives adults with generalised anxiety, overthinking, rumination, or persistent worry a simple way to notice thoughts, return attention to the breath, and practise letting go without arguing with every anxious idea.
This mindfulness and letting go for anxiety PDF handout provides a clear, guided exercise for noticing thoughts without getting pulled into them. The “Steps for Letting Go” practice invites the reader to sit quietly, observe thoughts, feelings and body sensations, bring attention to breathing in the belly, and then widen awareness to the whole body. A simple radio metaphor helps explain that the aim is not to force worries away, but to change the way they are noticed and responded to.
The handout is suited to adults and older teenagers who experience generalised anxiety, persistent worry, overthinking, rumination or intrusive anxious thoughts. It can be used by CBT therapists, counsellors, psychologists, wellbeing practitioners and support workers as part of a session, group discussion, skills practice or follow-up task. It may also be useful for clients who want a short printable reminder to keep nearby for home practice.
Each stage is brief, with timings of around 30 seconds to one minute, so the exercise can be introduced without needing a long meditation session. Use it as a grounding worksheet, a breathing practice prompt, a reflection aid, or a starting point before moving on to longer mindfulness activities. Download and print the handout to support calm, structured practice when anxious thoughts feel hard to leave alone.
