How to Write a Thought Record
There are 10 steps to a thought record. The first six steps guide you through understanding your negative thinking, and where it came from. The next four steps help you come up with healthier thinking and incorporate it into your life.
Write a thought record about unpleasant experiences that you would like to have handled differently. You can write about past or current experiences. Start with easy ones at first. Wait until you are more practiced before dealing with more uncomfortable experiences.
If you have any doubts about what to write about, discuss your plans with your doctor or therapist. Write a thought record every day for a month and see the effect it has on your thinking and mood.
1. The situation. Briefly describe the situation that led to your unpleasant feelings. This will help you remember it later if you want to go back and study your notes.
I made a mistake at work.
2. Initial thought. What thought first popped into your mind? This was probably a subconscious or automatic thought that you have had before.
I feel like a failure. If people knew the real me, they wouldn't like me.
3. Negative thinking. Identify the negative thinking behind your initial thought. Choose one or more from the list of common types of negative thinking.
This is self-labeling and disqualifying the positives.
4. Source of negative belief. Is there a deep belief or fear driving this thinking? Can you trace your thinking back to a situation or person? Search your heart.
I can hear the voice of my parent saying that I’m a failure and that I’ll never amount to anything.
5. Challenge your thinking. Look at the evidence both for and against it. Have you been in a similar situation before? What strengths do you bring to this situation? Make sure you see the whole picture.
I'm hard on myself. I've had some successes. I don't always succeed, but I do sometimes. People have complimented me on my work. It's when I try to be perfect that I feel overwhelmed and disappointed in myself.
6. Consider the consequences. What are both the short-term and long-term consequences if you continue to think like this? Look at the physical, psychological, professional, and emotional consequences.
I'm damaging my self-esteem. If I continue to think like this, my negativity will affect my relationships and possibly my health. I'll become exhausted.
7. Alternative thinking. Once you've considered the facts, write down a healthier way of thinking. The previous steps of the thought record helped you understand your thinking. Now that you have let down your defenses, you will be more open to alternative thinking.
I don't have to succeed at everything. I might not succeed at this, but that doesn't mean I fail at everything. I want to get rid of this negative thinking. I'm not gaining anything by being hard on myself.
8. Positive belief and affirmation. Write down a statement that reflects your healthier beliefs. Find something that you can repeat to yourself.
I am successful in many ways.
"Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference." This affirmation that covers most situations is the so-called serenity prayer.
9. Action plan. What action can you take to support your new thinking?
I'm going to celebrate my victories, and focus on the positives. The next time I make a mistake, I won't dwell on the negatives and waste my energy. Instead I'll focus on what I can learn from my mistake.
10. Improvement. Do you feel slightly better or more optimistic? This step reinforces the idea that if you change your thinking, you will change your mood. Gradually over time, your thinking and life will begin to change.
If you write a thought record every day for a few weeks, it will be easier to analyze your thinking. You'll spot your negative thinking quickly and let it go. You'll be able to come up with better alternatives. You'll practice a new style of thinking, so that it will become part of your life. (Reference: www.CognitiveTherapyGuide.org .)
The Expanded Thought Record
The traditional thought record, introduced by Dr. Beck, uses a column format, where each column represents a different step of the thought record. Your thoughts are written on specially lined paper within the columns provided, and there are usually five or six steps to a thought record. The disadvantage of this approach is that it is somewhat inflexible. You have to write your thoughts in the columns provided, which may not give you enough room to think.
The expanded version used above is in journal format, where each step starts a new line. This may seem like a small change, but it has a number of advantages. You are not limited to five or six steps, which gives you the flexibility to take more steps in analyzing your thinking. It also gives you more room to write so that you can look deeper and make more lasting changes.
Printable Resources
For your convenience, I've included a printable introduction to cognitive therapy and a thought record template.
Learn cognitive therapy, cbt thought records. Cognitive therapy thought record templates and examples are provided to help you with cognitive therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy. Also covered are cognitive behavioral therapy and negative thinking, including cognitive therapy anxiety and cognitive therapy depression techniques. Find thought record examples on how to overcome negative thinking patterns and distorted thinking. Cognitive behavioural therapy, cognitive therapy techniques, and cbt techniques are covered.