CBT Thought Diary
More on CBT, thought distortions and managing them…. in my previous post on Cognitive Distortions, the various unhelpful thinking styles were described. Also listed in that post are some prompts for questioning those thoughts and suggested ways to shift or replace them. The chart below (record or diary… however you prefer to describe!) is another tool to help with journaling and changing the cycle of negative or unproductive thought patterns.
The process is simple and self-explanatory. You first name the time or day and the distressing thought. Be simple and brief without getting caught up in the longer ‘story’ of the thought. See what cognitive distortions might be going on - take a look at your list of common distortions for this. Then note any evidence ‘for’ this thought…. it’s okay if there’s a little evidence for the negative thought. The overall point here is to look at the situation as a whole - not just the bad or good. Then, list the evidence against the thought… evidence that doesn’t support the thought. Once you’ve journaled all the evidence, try to craft a replacement thought (or more than one) that is more balanced and helpful.
An example might be:
Distressing Thought: “My boss just asked me to rewrite a plan proposal I’ve been working on and I must be failing at my job and I’m sure to be fired soon”
Cognitive Distortions: All or Nothing Thinking, Catastrophizing, Disqualifying the Positive
Evidence For: “Well, my boss did ask me to rewrite the proposal because it needed some things I’d forgotten to add”
Evidence Against: “Even though my boss asked me to rewrite this plan proposal, she also repeatedly affirms how well I’m doing in my job”, “My most recent review was good and I did get a raise this year”
Replacement Thoughts: “Even great proposals need some editing”, “I can be really good at my job and still hear some suggestions for things to change”, “Just because I had to edit the proposal, it doesn’t mean my job is in jeopardy”
Writing and recording the maladaptive thoughts, evidence and shifted thinking helps to build your awareness and deepen the neural pathways for new thoughts to “stick”. What ‘fires up’ in our brains ‘wires up’ - the more we repeat, write and practice the new thoughts… the more hard wired and easily accessible they are in our minds.
To reference the previous post on Cognitive Distortions, please follow this link: CBT Cognitive Distortions
Best,Jenn
*The information presented in this blog is intended for general knowledge and use only. It should not take the place of medical, clinical advice or licensed therapy. To find a licensed practitioner in your area, the Psychology Today Directory is an excellent resource.