Unhelpful thinking habits shape how we feel — but they can be challenged. For each common pattern, use the guiding prompts to find a more balanced, realistic way of seeing the situation.
Each section covers one of the most common unhelpful thinking patterns recognised in CBT.
Every habit comes with guiding questions to help you gently challenge the thought and see it differently.
Space to record your personal alternative thought — in your own words, for your own situation.
Return to this worksheet whenever an unhelpful thought appears. The more you practise, the more natural it becomes.
How It Works
You don't need to complete every section — focus on the thinking habits that feel most relevant to you right now.
When you're feeling anxious, low, or distressed, try to identify the thought that's driving the feeling. What are you telling yourself about the situation?
Look through the 12 thought patterns below and find the thinking habit that best describes what your mind is doing. You might recognise more than one — that's common.
Read the prompts for that thinking habit slowly. Let them land. They're designed to gently loosen the grip of the unhelpful thought and open up alternative ways of seeing things.
In the text box, write your own more balanced, realistic thought. It doesn't need to be wildly positive — just a bit more accurate and a bit kinder than the original.
Your Worksheet
Work through the thinking habits that feel most relevant to you. When you're done, click Save Worksheet to store your answers.
For each thinking habit, read the guiding prompts — then write your own more balanced alternative thought in the box below. Focus on the habits that feel most familiar. You can skip any that don't apply to your current situation.
Am I only noticing the bad stuff? Am I filtering out the positives? Am I wearing those gloomy specs? What would be more realistic?
Am I assuming I know what others are thinking? What's the evidence? Those are my own thoughts, not theirs. Is there another, more balanced way of looking at it?
Am I thinking that I can predict the future? How likely is it that that might really happen?
Am I doing that compare and despair thing? What would be a more balanced and helpful way of looking at it?
There I go — that internal bully's at it again. Would most people who really know me say that about me? Is this something that I am totally responsible for?
Am I putting more pressure on myself, setting up expectations of myself that are almost impossible? What would be more realistic?
I'm making an evaluation about the situation or person. It's how I make sense of the world, but that doesn't mean my judgements are always right or helpful. Is there another perspective?
Just because it feels bad, doesn't necessarily mean it is bad. My feelings are just a reaction to my thoughts — and thoughts are just automatic brain reflexes.
Am I exaggerating the good aspects of others, and putting myself down? Or am I exaggerating the negative and minimising the positives? How would someone else see it? What's the bigger picture?
OK, thinking that the worst possible thing will definitely happen isn't really helpful right now. What's most likely to happen?
Things aren't either totally white or totally black — there are shades of grey. Where is this on the spectrum?
This is just a reminder of the past. That was then, and this is now. Even though this memory makes me feel upset, it's not actually happening again right now.
Finding alternative thoughts is a skill that gets easier with practice. The more you catch and challenge unhelpful thinking habits, the less automatic power they have over how you feel. Keep this worksheet and return to it whenever you need it.
Based on material from get.gg — a free CBT self-help resource