Downloaded by Maily Rivera on 2024-05-08 at 21:08:24.

Customer ID cus_K2VcV6nPJZMmOq

Guide
US English

Automatic Thoughts
Evaluating Unhelpful
 Introduction

Thinking can be wonderful. It means we can

plan, solve problems, create, and imagine. People
have thousands of thoughts every day. Some
are helpful and uplifting (e.g., “I’m glad I was
able to help”), and some are more downbeat
(e.g., “I’ll never be able to do this”). Some are
accurate (e.g., “I said the wrong thing and upset
someone”), and some are less so (e.g., “I’m
completely useless”).

But thinking can also cause problems by making

us worry, dwell on things, and criticize ourselves.
It’s common to feel distressed or overwhelmed
by our thoughts at times. In fact, problems like
anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, paranoia,
and even how we react to physical pain have a
lot to do with how we think.

Fortunately, there is an effective form of

psychological therapy called cognitive behavioral
therapy (or CBT), which is very good at targeting
the unhelpful thoughts – and the patterns of
thinking – that cause these problems. This guide
is designed to introduce you to some methods
that CBT therapists use to work with unhelpful
thoughts. You will learn:
Downloaded by Maily Rivera on 2024-05-08 at 21:08:24. Customer ID cus_K2VcV6nPJZMmOq

• Why thoughts cause problems.

• How to monitor and evaluate your automatic

thoughts.

• How to continue using these techniques

yourself.

1
 How your thoughts, feelings, and behavior affect each other

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is based on While situations certainly influence how we feel,
the idea that what you think (your cognitions) it’s actually the way we interpret our experiences
and what you do (your behavior) have a big that matters most [1].
influence on how you feel (your emotions).
For example, three people are about to have the
People often assume that what happens to same experience – traveling on an aeroplane for
them – their experiences – makes them feel a the first time. Can you see a connection between
certain way. For example, if you lose something what they think, how they feel, and what they
important, you feel sad, but when you find it do?
again, you feel happy.

Thoughts Emotions Behavior

“What if something He cancels his flight
terrible happens, like a Anxiety
and goes home.
plane crash?”

“Good things never She reluctantly boards

happen to me. I’ll hate Sadness
the plane.
this experience.”

“I can’t wait to take off. He runs to his seat and

This is going to be a lot Excitement
enjoys the flight.
of fun!”

If experiences caused feelings, we would expect All of this tells us something important: if you
Downloaded by Maily Rivera on 2024-05-08 at 21:08:24. Customer ID cus_K2VcV6nPJZMmOq

each person to have the same reaction to flying, struggle with difficult feelings, then addressing
but they don’t. Instead, it’s the way people think the way you think about events (your
about events that leads to different emotional cognitions) and how you respond to those
reactions. events (your behavior) will be helpful. This is
the foundation of CBT.

2
 How your thoughts, feelings, and behavior affect each other

Many thoughts are quick and automatic

What goes on inside our heads isn’t always slow Let’s look at an example: Emily and Zara are in
or deliberate. In fact, most thinking consists of bed when they hear a bang in another room.
quick, automatic thoughts that ‘pop up’ in your Who is ‘thinking fast’ in this situation (in an
mind. When these thoughts cause distress, they automatic and perhaps slightly biased way)
are called negative automatic thoughts and who is ‘thinking slow’ (in an effortful and
(or ‘NATs’) [2]. deliberate way)?

Research shows that people often think using

simple ‘rules of thumb’. Although we can choose Oh no! Someone is
to think in a way that’s deliberate and ‘slow’, our breaking into my home.
brains usually prefer to ‘think fast’, take shortcuts, I’m in danger. I need to
and respond automatically to what’s call the police, quickly!
happening [3].

Emily

I wonder what made that

noise. Did my cat knock
something over? I might have
left the window open – it could
have been the wind. I’ll go and
find out.
Downloaded by Maily Rivera on 2024-05-08 at 21:08:24. Customer ID cus_K2VcV6nPJZMmOq

Zara

Are your thoughts sometimes fast and automatic,

like Emily’s? Changing how you feel requires
you to slow down and notice the automatic
thoughts that are causing distress.

3
 How your thoughts, feelings, and behavior affect each other

Not everything you think is true

We often assume that the way we think is • What we pay attention to: Sometimes, we
accurate, but the reality is that thoughts are might not be aware of information that could
not facts. In many ways, thoughts are simply help us judge a situation more accurately. For
‘best guesses’ or ‘opinions’ about the meaning of example, it’s impossible to truly know what
events. In other words, not everything you think other people are thinking – no one can read
is true. minds – which means that we rely on (often
flawed) assumptions.
Why is this the case? Well, the world is a
complicated place and we don’t always have Because of these influences, biases often creep
complete information on which to base our into our thinking. You might have heard CBT
judgements. There are other reasons too, and therapists call these biases unhelpful thinking
many things influence how we think. These styles or cognitive distortions [5,6]. For example,
include: you might have met someone who thinks that
they are amazing and never acknowledges their
• How our brains are wired. Our brains use
flaws. Or perhaps you’ve met the opposite type:
mental ‘shortcuts’ that helped your Stone-Age
someone who is always critical of themselves, no
ancestors to survive in the distant past. For
matter what they achieve. Of course, everyone
example, assuming that unfamiliar things (or
is biased sometimes, and in small doses it’s not
people) were dangerous would have helped
a problem, but if your thinking is often biased it
them avoid harm. These old mental shortcuts
can cause difficulties in your life.
still affect the way we think, even though we
live in a very different world [4].

• Our past experiences. Things that happened

earlier in your life affect how you think in the
present. For example, if you were attacked
by a dog when you were a child, you might
Downloaded by Maily Rivera on 2024-05-08 at 21:08:24. Customer ID cus_K2VcV6nPJZMmOq

assume that all dogs are dangerous as an

adult. In other words, our experiences lead us
to form beliefs, which become a filter – like a
pair of ‘sunglasses’ – through which we look at
events.

4
 How your thoughts, feelings, and behavior affect each other

Not everything you think is true

Take a look at the unhelpful thinking styles

described below – can you relate to any of them?

All or nothing thinking You think in a way that is polarized (‘black or white’) and often extreme.

“This is brilliant” ... or ... “This is terrible”

“I’m successful” ... or ... “I’m a total failure”

Catastrophizing You jump to the worst possible conclusion, think about the absolute worst catastrophe, and
imagine the worst possible scenarios will happen. People who catastrophize often apply a
‘what if …?’ style of thinking around the problems they encounter.

“What if this freckle is skin cancer? What if the cancer is incurable? What will happen to my
family if I die?”

Disqualifying the You quickly discount positive information and experiences. This might happen when you
positive have successes or receive a compliment – it doesn’t ‘sit right’ or ‘feel natural’ to you, so you
discount it or brush it away.

After you receive a compliment > “They don’t really mean that”
After you pass a test > “That was a fluke, I’m bound to fail next time”

Emotional reasoning You assume that because you feel a certain way, your emotional ‘hunch’ must be true.

You feel anxious > “This situation must be dangerous”

You feel embarrassed > “I’ve humiliated myself. I can never show my face here again”

Fortune telling You jump to conclusions about what is going to happen in the future. These thoughts are
often overly negative.
Downloaded by Maily Rivera on 2024-05-08 at 21:08:24. Customer ID cus_K2VcV6nPJZMmOq

After shouting at your children > “My behavior is going to damage my kids”
While using a dating app > “Nobody is going to like me”

Labeling You automatically assign a label to events, yourself, or other people. This is a biased way of
thinking because it is unfair and inaccurate to sum up a person using a single word.

“I’m a failure”
“You’re useless”
“Everything is hopeless”

5
 How your thoughts, feelings, and behavior affect each other
Not everything you think is true

Magnification and You automatically exaggerate errors, fears, or imperfections. At the same time, you see your
minimization strengths and achievements as small and unimportant.

Somebody criticizes you > “Nobody likes me”

Someone says you’re kind > “That’s irrelevant, I’m still a selfish person”

Mental filter You automatically focus on certain types of information and not others. This often happens
when you are faced with information that doesn’t ‘fit’ with your existing beliefs. When your
mental filter is active, you miss important information.

You receive a mix of good and bad feedback > “I did a terrible job on that project”
You have an argument with your partner > “He’s never nice to me”

Mind-reading You assume that you know what another person is thinking (or what they will think). When
you mind read, you often assume that other people’s judgements of you are negative.

Your baby starts to cry > “They must think I’m a bad mother”
A stranger looks at you > “She must think I look disgusting”

Over-generalization You see a pattern or form an assumption that’s based on too little data or very few
experiences.

You don’t get to work on time > “I’m always late for things”
Something bad happens to you > “It’s always going to be this way for me”

These unhelpful thinking styles show that what

we think is not only automatic, but that it can
also be inaccurate: our thoughts don’t always
Downloaded by Maily Rivera on 2024-05-08 at 21:08:24. Customer ID cus_K2VcV6nPJZMmOq

reflect reality.

6
 How your thoughts, feelings, and behavior affect each other

Different thinking patterns are linked to different problems

Why do doctors ask patients about the If you struggle with anger, you might spend a
symptoms they are experiencing? One reason lot of time thinking about how other people’s
is to figure out what their illness is – different behavior is unfair or hostile.
symptoms go with different diseases. The same
is true of how we think: different emotional
He’s trying to put
problems are linked to different patterns of me down.
thinking [7].

If you struggle with depression, you might have She’s got no right to
noticed that your thoughts are often negative,
treat me this way.
critical, and hopeless.

This is hopeless –
I might as well stop
trying.

When automatic thoughts like these are

My life is never persistent they can be distressing and interfere
going to change. with your life. Changing the way you think can
help you to overcome the problems you are
struggling with.

If you feel anxious, your thoughts might focus on

scary things that could happen in the future.
Downloaded by Maily Rivera on 2024-05-08 at 21:08:24. Customer ID cus_K2VcV6nPJZMmOq

I’m going to make

a fool of myself at
the party.
What if I act on
this thought and
hurt someone?

7
 How your thoughts, feelings, and behavior affect each other

You can choose how you respond to your thoughts

People don’t want to think in ways that are We mentioned earlier that it’s not events that
upsetting or unhelpful. But, at the same time, our bother us, but how we think about them. What
brains can’t help but interpret the experiences this means is that you have a degree of choice
we have (even if these interpretations are about how you respond to events: you can
inaccurate or unhelpful). So, what can you do either accept your initial interpretations of
about your unhelpful automatic thoughts? events (your automatic thoughts), or you can
question them.

Viktor Frankl, a survivor of the Nazi death camps, In many ways, we make choices about our
believed we can always choose to interpret thoughts all the time (although we’re not
situations differently [8]: always aware of it). For instance, when you go to
supermarket, different products will claim to be
Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: ‘the best’ and you might not agree. You choose to
the last of the human freedoms – to choose one’s believe these ‘stories’ about the product or not.
attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose
The key message here is that, while you can’t
one’s own way.
necessarily stop your automatic thoughts,
you don’t have to accept them at face value.
Downloaded by Maily Rivera on 2024-05-08 at 21:08:24. Customer ID cus_K2VcV6nPJZMmOq

Instead, you can learn to interpret events

differently. One of the best ways to do this is
by learning to evaluate your thinking. This is
something we’ll cover in the next section.

8
 Changing how you feel by evaluating your thoughts

So far, we’ve learned that: It is important to emphasize that the goal of

evaluating your thinking is not to ‘be positive’ or
• Our thoughts influence our emotions: we
‘think happy thoughts’ (sadly, this doesn’t work).
feel the way we do because of how we think.
Instead, the aim is to help you think in ways that
• Thinking can be fast or slow: slow thinking are as accurate and helpful as possible.
tends to be more accurate, but our thoughts
In this section, we’ll start catching and evaluating
are often quick and automatic.
your automatic thoughts using a few skills:
• Automatic thoughts are sometimes
• Skill 1: Catching your automatic thoughts.
inaccurate and unhelpful: automatic
thoughts that are negative and biased can • Skill 2: Spotting your unhelpful thinking
lead to distress. styles.

An effective way to tackle automatic thoughts • Skill 3: Evaluating the evidence for and against
(and how they make you feel) is to evaluate your automatic thoughts.
your thinking. This involves firstly noticing your
• Skill 4: Putting your thoughts on trial.
automatic thoughts and then judging whether
they are accurate or helpful.
Downloaded by Maily Rivera on 2024-05-08 at 21:08:24. Customer ID cus_K2VcV6nPJZMmOq

9
 Changing how you feel by evaluating your thoughts

Skill 1: Catching your automatic thoughts

Imagine that you’re a builder, and your job is to When you do this, you might notice a lot
fix a sinking house. Where would you start? You of verbal thoughts. These might sound like
might begin by trying to understand as much as sentences or statements in your mind:
you can about the building: how old it is, what
it’s made from, and the type of soil it’s built on.
My presentation
This is because collecting information about a
is going to be
problem helps you to come up with effective awful.
solutions.

The same goes for our thinking. If automatic I’m never going to
thoughts play a role in your difficulties (and feel any better.
they often will), collecting information about
your thinking is an important first step toward
changing how you feel. This is where catching
your automatic thoughts can be helpful.

To catch your thoughts, you’ll need to pay

close attention to what pops up in your mind
– particularly when your mood changes. For Sometimes, instead of words your thoughts
example, when you notice an unpleasant feeling, might take the form of images or memories from
the most important question you need to ask your past.
yourself is:
I imagine my face
looking red, sweating,
and trembling.
What was going
through my mind
Downloaded by Maily Rivera on 2024-05-08 at 21:08:24. Customer ID cus_K2VcV6nPJZMmOq

just now? I remember when I

was first bullied at
school.

10
 Changing how you feel by evaluating your thoughts

Skill 1: Catching your automatic thoughts

You can use a thought monitoring record to help • The thoughts that ran through your mind
capture your automatic thoughts. It has three (including images and memories).
columns that will help you collect information
Here’s a completed example of a thought
about:
monitoring record. You will find a blank copy
• The situation where you experienced your on the next page, followed by some helpful
automatic thoughts. prompts. Spend a few days catching your
automatic thoughts using the form before you
• How you felt (your emotions and body
move on to skill 2.
sensations) at that moment.

Thought Monitoring Record

Situation Feelings Automatic thoughts

My family are late arriving Anxious Maybe they’ve been involved in

home. an accident.

I got a bad score on a test. Sad I fail at everything I do. Now I’ll
never get my dream job.

Having a break with my Embarrassed I’m such an idiot. They all think
colleagues and spilled a drink all I’m a loser.
over myself.

Come home to a messy kitchen. Angry The house looks disgusting. They
don’t do anything to help keep
our home tidy.
Downloaded by Maily Rivera on 2024-05-08 at 21:08:24. Customer ID cus_K2VcV6nPJZMmOq

11
Thought Monitoring Record
Situation Feelings Automatic thoughts
What did you feel? What was going through your mind
Who, what, when, where?
Rate your emotion 0–100% as you started to feel this way? (Thoughts or images)
Copyright © 2022 Psychology Tools Limited. All rights reserved.
Downloaded by Maily Rivera on 2024-05-08 at 21:08:24. Customer ID cus_K2VcV6nPJZMmOq
 Changing how you feel by evaluating your thoughts

Skill 1: Catching your automatic thoughts

When should I fill in my thought record?

The best time to complete a thought record is just after you notice a change in your mood (for example, you start to
feel anxious, low, or angry), as these shifts in your emotions show that you’ve had an automatic thought. Writing it
down will make sure that the event stays fresh in your mind, and that you remember the important details. If you can’t
complete a thought record straight away, jot down some notes, or do it as soon as you can afterwards.

What do I record in the ‘situation’ column?

Make some notes about the situation where you noticed a change in your emotions. Remember the four Ws:
• Who were you with?
• What were you doing?
• When did this happen?
• Where were you?

What should I record in the feelings column?

Try to describe how you felt, both emotionally and in your body. Useful questions to ask yourself are:
• What did you notice emotionally that led you to fill in my thought record? (e.g., angry, sad, excited)
• What sensations in your body were you aware of? (e.g., “I had butterflies in my stomach”)
Once you have recorded your feelings, rate the strength of each emotion or body sensation on a scale of 0-100%.

What should I record in the ‘automatic thoughts’ column?

Finally, write down the thoughts (or images) that you had at the time, particularly those you noticed just before your
feelings changed. Some helpful questions to ask yourself include:
• What went through your mind just now?
• What were you saying to myself?
• Did an image or memory pop into you mind? If so: What does it mean? What does this image or memory say about
you?
Once you have recorded your thought(s), you might find it helpful to rate how much you believe each one on a scale of
0-100% (where 0 = “I don’t believe it at all” and 100 = “I believe it completely”).
Downloaded by Maily Rivera on 2024-05-08 at 21:08:24. Customer ID cus_K2VcV6nPJZMmOq

This is harder than it looks – should I be able to do it right away?

Recording your thoughts is harder than it looks! Most of us don’t notice our automatic thoughts, or we just accept what
they tell us. Fortunately, recording your thoughts is a skill that does get easier with practice.

Should I record every thought I have?

No, you’ll get overwhelmed if you try to record everything. Instead, start by recording your thoughts at the times when
you notice big or sudden changes in your mood. As a guide, try to write down a few examples each day for one week,
then take some time to reflect on what you have recorded.

When should I move on to the next step?

Take some time to practice recording your automatic thoughts. When this starts to feel easy to do, it’s time to evaluate
your automatic thoughts.

13
 Changing how you feel by evaluating your thoughts

Skill 2: Spotting your unhelpful thinking styles

We mentioned earlier that thoughts are often thinking styles. In fact, these styles are so
biased: people tend to interpret events in ways common that each one has its own snappy title.
that are not always 100% accurate. Research Remind yourself of the unhelpful thinking styles
shows that everyone – particularly those who list below – do you notice yourself using any of
struggle with their mood – uses unhelpful them?

All or nothing thinking

You think in a way that is polarized (‘black or white’) and often extreme.

Catastrophizing
You jump to the worst possible conclusion, think about the absolute worst catastrophe, and imagine the worst possible scenarios
will happen. People who catastrophize often apply a ‘what if ... ?’ style of thinking around the problems they encounter.

Disqualifying the positive

You quickly discount positive information and experiences. This might happen when you have successes or receive a compliment
– it doesn’t ‘sit right’ or ‘feel natural’ to you so you discount it or brush it away.

Emotional reasoning
You assume that because you feel a certain way, your emotional ‘hunch’ must be true.

Fortune telling
You jump to conclusions about what is going to happen in the future. These predictions are often overly negative.

Labeling
You automatically assign a label to events, yourself, or other people. This is a biased way of thinking because it is unfair and
inaccurate to sum up a person using a single word.

Magnification and minimization

You automatically exaggerate errors, fears, or imperfections. At the same time, you see your strengths and achievements as small
and unimportant.
Downloaded by Maily Rivera on 2024-05-08 at 21:08:24. Customer ID cus_K2VcV6nPJZMmOq

Mental filter
You automatically focus on certain types of information and not others. This often happens when you are faced with information
that doesn’t ‘fit’ with your existing beliefs. When your mental filter is active, you miss important information.

Mind reading
You assume that you know what another person is thinking (or what they will think). When you mind read, you often assume that
other people’s judgements of you are negative.

Overgeneralization
You see a pattern or form an assumption that’s based on too little data or very few experiences.

14
 Changing how you feel by evaluating your thoughts

Skill 2: Spotting your unhelpful thinking styles

Once you are familiar with these styles of Many people say that they find it useful to label
thinking, use the Noticing My Thinking Styles their thoughts in this way because it helps
worksheet to practice spotting them as they pop to put some distance between themself and
up in your thinking. thier thoughts. You will find a blank copy of the
worksheet on the next page, followed by some
helpful prompts.

Noticing My Thinking Styles

Situation Feelings Automatic thoughts Unhelpful thinking styles

My family are late Anxious Maybe they’ve been Catastrophizing

arriving home. involved in an accident.

I got a bad score on a Sad I fail at everything I do. Fortune telling

test. Now I’ll never get my Overgeneralizing
dream job.

Having a break with my Embarrassed I’m such an idiot. They Labeling

colleagues and spilled a think I’m a loser. Mind reading
drink all over myself.

Come home to a messy Angry The house looks Magnification and

kitchen disgusting. They don’t minimisation.
do anything to help keep
our home tidy. Mental filter.
Downloaded by Maily Rivera on 2024-05-08 at 21:08:24. Customer ID cus_K2VcV6nPJZMmOq

15
Noticing My Thinking Styles
Situation Feelings Automatic thoughts Unhelpful thinking styles
What was happening when you noticed What did you feel? How strong was that What went through your mind? (Thoughts, Was your automatic thought influenced by
a change in your thoughts, feelings, or feeling? (0–100%) images, or memories) an unhelpful thinking style?
actions?
Copyright © 2022 Psychology Tools Limited. All rights reserved.
Downloaded by Maily Rivera on 2024-05-08 at 21:08:24. Customer ID cus_K2VcV6nPJZMmOq
 Changing how you feel by evaluating your thoughts

Skill 2: Spotting your unhelpful thinking styles

Step 1: Record information about the situation that bothered you

• Who were you with?

• What were you doing?
• When did this happen?
• Where were you?

Step 2: Record how you felt

Briefly describe the emotions and body sensations you were aware of. Rate the strength of each emotion on a 0-100%
scale.

Step 3: Record your negative automatic thoughts

• Ask yourself, “What went through your mind just before your mood changed?”
• Record any images or memories that came to mind.

Step 4: See if you can spot any unhelpful thinking styles

• For each thought you recorded, see if an unhelpful thinking style applies.
• If it seems like it could be an example of an unhelpful thinking style, write it in the fourth column.

Step 5: Reflect on how you are feeling now

If any of your automatic thoughts had an associated unhelpful thinking style:

• How do you feel now that you have noticed this link?
• What do you think about the accuracy of that thought?
• Has it helped you understand this situation differently?

Paul struggled with social anxiety. Noticing his

thinking styles helped him feel less nervous
about meeting new people:
Downloaded by Maily Rivera on 2024-05-08 at 21:08:24. Customer ID cus_K2VcV6nPJZMmOq

I’m mind-reading and

I’m dreading going to jumping to conclusions
the party. Everyone will again. I could meet some
think I’m boring. nice people who think I’m
interesting, like I did at
the last party I went to.

17
 Changing how you feel by evaluating your thoughts

Skill 3: Examining the evidence for and against your thoughts

Our thoughts aren’t facts, they’re interpretations. The problem is that these guesses aren’t always
In other words, automatic thoughts are ‘opinions’ accurate or useful.
or ‘best guesses’ about what is going on in our
Remember, the aim of evaluating thoughts
lives.
in CBT is not to ‘think happy thoughts’ but it
is to think accurately. How can you turn your
Not many people guesses (automatic thoughts) into more accurate
clapped after my interpretations?
presentation – I must
have done it badly. Examining the evidence for and against your
thoughts can help you evaluate whether your
thoughts are reasonable and work for you, rather
than against you.

My friend said she

would call today,
but she didn’t. Now
I know she doesn’t
like me.
Downloaded by Maily Rivera on 2024-05-08 at 21:08:24. Customer ID cus_K2VcV6nPJZMmOq

My children are late

home from school. I
feel like they’re lost
or hurt.

18
 Changing how you feel by evaluating your thoughts

Skill 3: Examining the evidence for and against your thoughts

Zac was at home when he had the thought “My

friends haven’t asked me out in weeks. I’m not
important to anyone”. He felt terribly lonely.

Thought Record: Evidence For And Against

Automatic Thought Evidence FOR Evidence AGAINST Alternative thought

I’m not important to It’s been over a week My family and I spend a I *am* important to
anyone. since any of my friends lot of time together and people.
have called me. they tell me that they Some of my friends are
I don’t have a girlfriend. love me. away a the moment,
I’m feeling really lonely I’m supervising two but that doesn’t mean
and sad at the moment. junior staff members at that I’m not important to
work and they tell me them.
how important my help I think what I’m missing
is to them. is romance, but that
My uncle sent me a nice doesn’t mean I’m not
email a couple of days important.
ago.

Use the Thought Record – Evidence For And Against

worksheet to practice evaluating your automatic
thoughts.

You will find a blank copy on the next page,

followed by some helpful prompts.
Downloaded by Maily Rivera on 2024-05-08 at 21:08:24. Customer ID cus_K2VcV6nPJZMmOq

19
Thought Record Don’t believe everything that you think.
• Thoughts and images can come to mind automatically.
• Not all thoughts are completely true: some might be facts, others could be opinions.
Feelings Automatic Evidence FOR Response
Situation Evidence AGAINST Write a considered
Describe the event that
What did you feel? thought Record facts and
Record facts and
How strong was that What went through your experiences that indicate response to your automatic
triggered a strong response experiences that suggest thought, and record how
feeling mind before, during and your automatic
in you. your automatic thought is you feel now.
(0–100%)? after the situation? thought is accurate.
not completely accurate.
• Write an alternative to your
• What were you thinking when automatic thought that takes
you noticed yourself feeling that • What facts, experiences, or into account all of the evidence
Situations or events can be: way? • What facts, experiences, evidence contradict your you have recorded (for and
• External: things that other • What emotions or body • If you had an image or memory, or evidence support the thought? against).
people could notice. sensations did you notice? what did it mean to you? truthfulness of your thought? • What reasons are there for • How much do you believe this
• Internal: things that only you • Rate how strong those feelings • How much did you believe the • What reasons are there for thinking your thought is not response?
notice. were from 0–100%. thought? thinking your thought is true? true? • Describe how you feel now.
Copyright © 2022 Psychology Tools Limited. All rights reserved.
Downloaded by Maily Rivera on 2024-05-08 at 21:08:24. Customer ID cus_K2VcV6nPJZMmOq
 Changing how you feel by evaluating your thoughts

Skill 3: Examining the evidence for and against your thoughts

Step 1: Record information about the situation that bothered you

• Who were you with?

• What were you doing?
• When did this happen?
• Where were you?

Step 2: Record how you felt

Briefly describe the emotions and body sensations you were aware of. Rate the intensity of each emotion on a 0-100%
scale.

Step 3: Record your negative automatic thoughts

• Ask yourself, “What went through your mind before your mood changed?”
• Record any images or memories that came to mind.

Step 4: Choose one automatic thought to work on

• It’s best to work on one thought at a time, so select your most distressing or persuasive thought.
• Give this thought a belief rating: how much do you believe it right now (0% = not at all, 100% = completely)?

Step 5: Record the evidence that supports your chosen thought

Make a list of all the reasons why that thought might be true:
• Ask yourself, “What evidence makes you think this thought is correct?”
• Write down all of the evidence that comes to mind.

Step 6: Record the evidence that doesn’t support your chosen thought

List the reasons why this thought might not be 100% true, all of the time. You might find it helpful to ask yourself the
following questions:
• What evidence makes you suspect this thought isn’t 100% true?
• What experiences have you had that don’t support this thought?
Downloaded by Maily Rivera on 2024-05-08 at 21:08:24. Customer ID cus_K2VcV6nPJZMmOq

• Are you ignoring or discounting any counter evidence?

• What has helped you feel better about events like this in the past?
• If a friend thought this way, what would you say to them?
• How might other people see this event differently?

Step 7: Read through what you have written down (out loud if you can)

Look over everything you have written on your record. Reading it aloud can give you even more distance from your
thoughts.

21
 Changing how you feel by evaluating your thoughts

Skill 3: Examining the evidence for and against your thoughts

Step 8: Write down an alternative thought that summarizes all the evidence

You might find it helpful to ask:

• What would be a fair summary of all this evidence?
• Given this evidence, can you understand this situation differently?
• Is there a more balanced way of viewing this event?

Step 9: Re-rate your belief in your original thought and your new thought

• Rate how much you believe in your negative automatic thought now.
• Has your rating changed? Why?

Bruno struggled with anger. Examining the evidence for and against his automatic thoughts helped
him see some situations as being less hostile:

My new neighbor
didn’t respond when My neighbor was
I waved to her. She friendly the last
thinks she’s superior time we spoke.
to me. Maybe she was
distracted today.
Downloaded by Maily Rivera on 2024-05-08 at 21:08:24. Customer ID cus_K2VcV6nPJZMmOq

22
 Changing how you feel by evaluating your thoughts

Skill 4: Putting your thoughts on ‘trial’

Have you ever seen a courtroom trial, or heard You can also put your automatic thoughts on
about how they work? trial. Playing the role of your ‘inner prosecution’
and ‘inner defence’ can help you evaluate
A courtroom trial aims to decide whether an
whether your thoughts are accurate or not. The
individual (‘the accused’) is guilty of committing
Putting Your Thoughts On Trial worksheet will
a crime. The trial usually goes through a series of
guide you through the steps. You will find a blank
steps. First, the prosecution presents evidence
copy on the next page, followed by some helpful
that suggests that the accused is guilty. Next,
prompts.
the defence presents evidence that indicates the
accused is innocent. Finally, a judge (sometimes
with the help of a jury) makes a final judgment or
‘verdict’.

Putting Your Thoughts On Trial

Automatic Thought Prosecutor’s arguments Defense’s arguments Final judgment

I’m stupid. I made lots of mistakes There were errors in Not guilty.
in my last assignment. my assignment, but my
overall mark was pretty I have failed at some
I didn’t get selected good. things – but everyone
for a class that I really fails sometimes and
wanted to join. I’ve succeeded at things that doesn’t make me
too, like getting into stupid. There are times
I’ve failed tests in the college. when I have succeeded
past, like my driving too.
test. I’ve passed lots of tests
in the past. I wouldn’t be this hard
Downloaded by Maily Rivera on 2024-05-08 at 21:08:24. Customer ID cus_K2VcV6nPJZMmOq

on a friend, so I maybe
I should be kinder to
myself too.

23
 Thought Record – Courtroom Trial
Accusation
What was your negative automatic thought?

Imagine your automatic thought is an accusation made against you. Next, from the perspectives of your inner ‘prosecution’ and ‘defence’, explore the evidence that
supports and contradicts this accusation.

Prosecutor’s arguments Defence’s arguments

What evidence suggests that this accusation is true? What evidence suggests that this accusation is false?

• What information would a prosecuting barrister use to convince a jury that • What information would a defending barrister use to convince a jury that
the accusation is true? the accusation is false?
• Can you think of evidence that confirms you are guilty of committing this • Can the prosecutor’s evidence be reframed in ways that don’t support the
‘crime’? accusation?

Jury’s verdict
After hearing both sides of the argument, would an impartial Guilty Not guilty
The accusation
Downloaded by Maily Rivera on 2024-05-08 at 21:08:24. Customer ID cus_K2VcV6nPJZMmOq

jury agree you are guilty of the accusation? The accusation is

is 100% true
not 100% true.
beyond all doubt.

Summarise your final judgment

If you are not guilty of this accusation, what would a fairer perspective be?

Given all the evidence, is there a more balanced and realistic way of viewing this accusation?
Sum up what you’ve learnt from the courtroom trial.

Copyright © 2022 Psychology Tools Limited. All rights reserved.

 Changing how you feel by evaluating your thoughts

Skill 4: Putting your thoughts on ‘trial’

Step 1: Put your thought in the dock (choose a thought)

Write down a negative automatic thought you want to evaluate and imagine it is an accusation made against you.
• Work on one thought at a time (you can do more trials later).
• If your thought is an image, ask yourself “What does this image say about you?”. Use the answer to this question as
the thought you work on.
• If your thought sounds like a question (e.g., “Why are you so stupid?”), turn it into a statement (e.g., “You are so
stupid”).

Step 2: Play the ‘prosecution’: present the evidence suggesting your thought is true

Play the prosecution: your job is to argue the thought is true.

• Ask yourself “What evidence would support this thought?”
• Record all the reasons why the thought appears to be accurate.
• Don’t censor anything – write down any evidence that comes to mind.

Step 3: Play the ‘defence’: present the evidence suggesting your thought is false

Next, play the role of a defence barrister: your job is to argue that the thought is false (even if you don’t believe it is
false). Ask yourself, “What evidence does not support this thought?”, and record all the reasons why the thought is
inaccurate. Use the following questions to identify as much evidence as possible:
• What evidence would defend you against this thought?
• What are the facts that don’t support this thought?
• Who do you know that would disagree with this thought? What would they say in your defence?
• In what ways is the prosecution’s evidence unfair or distorted?
• How could this ‘evidence’ be understood differently?

Step 4: Play the jury: review the evidence and reach a final verdict

The jury’s job is to reach a verdict about the accuracy of your automatic thought. Decide whether the prosecution or
the defense’s case was more factual and persuasive. The following questions can help you reach your verdict:
• “Does the evidence show my thought is 100% fair and accurate?”
Downloaded by Maily Rivera on 2024-05-08 at 21:08:24. Customer ID cus_K2VcV6nPJZMmOq

• “Is your thought completely true, beyond any reasonable doubt?”

• “If your thought isn’t 100% true, what is the reality?”

Step 5: Play the judge: summarize your final judgment

Read over the evidence you have recorded and the verdict you reached. How would you judge the accusation made
against you (i.e., your automatic thought) now? The following questions can help you summarize your judgment:
• “What would be an accurate summary of all the trial evidence?”
• “What is a more balanced and realistic way of viewing the accusation against you?”
• “How do you view your automatic thought after putting it on trial?”

25
 Changing how you feel by evaluating your thoughts

Skill 4: Putting your thoughts on ‘trial’

Ajay struggled with low self-esteem. Putting

his thoughts on trial helped him to see why his
automatic thoughts were unreasonable and
unhelpful.
That’s not true. I have
a few close friends and
it’s impossible to be liked
by everyone. My inner
prosecutor is being unfair
No one likes me. about this.
Downloaded by Maily Rivera on 2024-05-08 at 21:08:24. Customer ID cus_K2VcV6nPJZMmOq

26
 Keeping it going

Hopefully, after working through this guide you At the beginning of this guide, we suggested
are more aware of your automatic thoughts and that evaluating your thoughts can have a
are better at evaluating the ones that cause you positive impact on your mood. How have things
difficulty. Before exploring how you can build changed for you since applying these tools? You
on this work, take some time to reflect on what may have noticed some helpful changes in your
you’ve learnt so far. thinking, which has led to improvements in how
you feel and what you do.

What have I learned from catching and evaluating my thoughts is ...

If you haven’t noticed improvements, or if some

thoughts still upset you, don’t be discouraged.
Learning to evaluate your thoughts is a new skill
which takes time to master. It’s like strengthening
Downloaded by Maily Rivera on 2024-05-08 at 21:08:24. Customer ID cus_K2VcV6nPJZMmOq

a muscle: the more you use it, the stronger

this ability will become. To end, the next page
contains some suggestions to help you keep
your practice going.

27
 Keeping it going

What are your next steps?

Practice makes perfect

Evaluating your automatic thoughts can be challenging at first, but the more you practice, the easier and more
automatic it will become. It’s also important to evaluate your thoughts even when you’re feeling better, just as
practicing swimming in a calm, shallow pool helps you stay afloat in rough seas. Finally, make sure that you keep your
completed records so you can look back on them during difficult moments.

Evaluate your thoughts ‘live’

When people start evaluating their thoughts, it’s usually after their thoughts have arisen. Try to evaluate your thoughts
as soon as they pop up in your mind. With practice, this can become an automatic and ingrained response to negative
thinking.

Take action: test your thoughts

At the beginning of this guide we learned that our feelings are influenced by what we think and do, so changing our
behavior can also help us evaluate our thinking. There are many ways that taking action can help you evaluate your
thinking. One way is to use ‘behavioral experiments’ to test whether your new interpretations of events are accurate..

Take action: collect more data

Another way to take action is to collect information that either supports or does not support your interpretations. For
example, do your friends agree with how you have interpreted an event, or do they see it differently?

Take action: go outside your comfort zone

Deliberately putting yourself in situations that trigger your automatic thoughts can help you practice evaluating them
as they arise.

Take action: act as if your automatic thoughts were totally untrue

How would you act if you didn’t believe your automatic thoughts? Try it out and see what happens. You may find that
behaving differently leads to changes in your thoughts and feelings.

Responding to setbacks
Downloaded by Maily Rivera on 2024-05-08 at 21:08:24. Customer ID cus_K2VcV6nPJZMmOq

Distressing automatic thoughts can’t be avoided: everyone experiences them from time to time. For this reason, some
of your unhelpful thoughts may show up again in the future – even the ones that seem unbelievable right now. When
this happens, there are a few things you can do to respond most effectively:
• Remember that some thoughts are persistent. Automatic thoughts sometimes return and seem convincing, but
that doesn’t mean you’ve made no progress. ‘Sticky’ automatic thoughts often need to be evaluated several times
before they become less distressing and happen less often. Treat every automatic thought as an opportunity to
strengthen your skills.
• Be proactive. As soon as an automatic thought starts to trouble you, take action by using the tools in this guide. The
quicker you use new your evaluation skills, the sooner you will start to feel better.
• Go back to this guide. If you are struggling with an automatic thought, read this guide again and use each tool it
describes. Because you will be using skills you already know (rather than learning something completely new), they
will help you more quickly the second or third time.

28
 References

[1] Beck, A. T. (Ed.). (1979). Cognitive therapy of depression. Guilford press.

[2] Beck, A. T. (1976). Cognitive therapy and the emotional disorders. International Universities Press.

[3] Kahneman, D., & Egan, P. (2011). Thinking, fast and slow. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

[4] Gilbert, P. (1998). The evolved basis and adaptive functions of cognitive distortions. British Journal of Medical
Psychology, 71(4), 447-463.

[5] Beck, A. T. (1963). Thinking and depression: I. Idiosyncratic content and cognitive distortions. Archives of
General Psychiatry, 9(4), 324-333.

[6] Burns, M. D. (1980). Feeling good: the new mood therapy. NY: Signet Books.

[7] Clark, D. A., & Beck, A. T. (1989). Cognitive theory and therapy of anxiety and depression. In P. C. Kendall
& D. Watson (Eds.), Anxiety and depression: Distinctive and overlapping features (pp. 379–411). San Diego:
Academic Press.

[8] Frankl, V. E. (1963). Man’s search for meaning: an introduction to logotherapy. New York: Washington Square
Press.
Downloaded by Maily Rivera on 2024-05-08 at 21:08:24. Customer ID cus_K2VcV6nPJZMmOq

29
 About us

Psychology Tools develops and publishes evidence-based psychotherapy resources. We support mental health
professionals to deliver effective therapy, whatever their theoretical orientation or level of experience.

Our digital library encompasses information handouts, worksheets, workbooks, exercises, guides, and audio skills-
development resources.

Our tools are flexible enough to be used both in-session and between-session, and during all stages of assessment,
formulation, and intervention. Written by highly qualified clinicians and academics, materials are available in digital and
printable formats across a wide range of languages.
Downloaded by Maily Rivera on 2024-05-08 at 21:08:24. Customer ID cus_K2VcV6nPJZMmOq

Resource details URL: https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/evaluating-unhelpful-thinking-

Title: Evaluating Unhelpful Thinking Styles styles
Type: Guide Resource format: Guide
Language: English (US) Version: 20240320
Translated title: Evaluating Unhelpful Thinking Styles Last updated by: CW

Terms & conditions

This resource may be used by licensed members of Psychology Tools and their clients. Resources must be used in accordance with our terms and conditions which
can be found at: https://www.psychologytools.com/terms-and-conditions/
Disclaimer
Your use of this resource is not intended to be, and should not be relied on, as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you are suffering
from any mental health issues we recommend that you seek formal medical advice before using these resources. We make no warranties that this information is
correct, complete, reliable or suitable for any purpose. As a professional user, you should work within the bounds of your own competencies, using your own skill and
knowledge, and therefore the resources should be used to support good practice, not to replace it.
Copyright
Unless otherwise stated, this resource is Copyright © 2023 Psychology Tools Limited. All rights reserved.

30