Thought Record
The classic CBT exercise for catching a distressing thought, examining it gently, and finding a more accurate way to hold it.
What happened?
Briefly describe the situation that's bothering you. Just the facts — what someone watching a video of the moment would see.
How are you feeling?
Name the emotions and rate how strongly you feel each one. There can be more than one. Sad and angry. Anxious and ashamed. Whatever's true.
What's the thought?
What is your mind telling you about the situation? Try to write the actual sentence, not a summary of it. The more specific, the more useful.
Which distortions might be at play?
Look at your thought from step three. Do any of these patterns fit? Check all that apply. Don't worry about getting it perfectly right — this is for noticing, not diagnosing.
Examine the thought gently.
Now look at your thought with curiosity rather than judgment. Use whichever of these questions feels useful — you don't have to answer all of them.
What evidence supports this thought?
What evidence might not support it?
What would I say to a close friend who had this thought?
Find a more balanced thought.
Given what you've examined, what's a more accurate, more compassionate way to hold this? Not toxic positivity. Not forced cheerfulness. Just something truer.
How do you feel now?
Re-rate the emotions from step two. They may have shifted; they may not have. Either is fine. The point isn't to feel better immediately — it's to notice what changes when you examine a thought.
Your thought record
A summary of what you worked through. You can print this, copy it, or just close the tab — nothing is saved anywhere.