Understanding your problems precisely is the essential first step in CBT. This worksheet helps you map what you want to change, how much it affects you, and the feelings and thoughts that come with it.
Vague problems are hard to solve. Name exactly what you want to start doing, stop doing, or do differently.
Putting a number on how much each problem interferes with your life helps you see it more clearly and track progress.
Seeing your feelings and thoughts laid out alongside each problem reveals the full picture of what's going on.
Use the ratings to decide which problems are most important to tackle first in your CBT work.
How It Works
Work through one problem per row. You don't need to fill in every row — focus on the problems that feel most relevant right now.
In the first column, describe a specific behaviour you want to start, stop, or change. Be as concrete as possible — avoid vague descriptions like “feel better.”
Give a percentage from 0 to 100 to show how much this problem gets in the way of the life you want to live. 0 = no interference at all, 100 = completely prevents you from living normally.
Write down the emotions associated with this problem — for example: anxious, ashamed, hopeless, angry, sad. Then rate how strongly you feel them (0–100%).
Write the unhelpful thoughts that come with this problem — for example: “I’m not good enough”, “Things will never improve.” Then rate how strongly you believe each one (0–100%).
This worksheet gives you and your therapist — or your future self — a clear picture of where you are now. You can return to it later to see how things have changed.
Your Worksheet
Fill in one row per problem. When you're done, click the button at the bottom to save your entry.
Think about the problems that have led you to seek support. For each one, you'll note what you'd like to be doing differently, how much it affects your life, and the feelings and thoughts that come with it. Rate each one from 0–100%, where 0 = not at all and 100 = as strongly as possible.
← Scroll left and right to see all columns →
| What I want to be doing, or what I want to stop doing | Extent to which this interferes with my life (0–100%) | The feelings that I don’t like | Strength of feelings (0–100%) | The thoughts that I don’t like | Strength of my belief in the thoughts (0–100%) |
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There are no right or wrong answers here. The goal is simply to get your problems out of your head and onto the page, so you can look at them clearly and start to work with them. Honesty with yourself is what makes this exercise powerful.