Email

Trigger

Cognitions

Strength of Belief

Resulting Emotion

Behavior

• If my friend's anxiety was telling them the same thought/belief, what would I tell them?

• Can I say that this statement is 100% true, without any exceptions?
• Does this always apply? Are there conditions under which it might not?

• Am I jumping to conclusions or assuming what other people are thinking?
• What are some other possibilities that would explain the situation?

• Is it really necessary to blame or judge anyone (including myself)? What if I don't?

• What is the likelihood or probability of this happening? (for real)
• How many times has it happened to any of the hundreds of people I know personally?

• What factors am I not taking into account that help protect me or lessen the chance of me being harmed by the worst case scenario?

• Is there a gray area to this statement (not just a black and white thing)?
• Am I only seeing extremes? (E.g. good or bad, success or failure)
• Visualize a spectrum, imagine what a person/situation on each extreme (and one perfectly in the middle) looks like, and compare myself to them.

• Just because something may be true of this specific person or situation, does that mean I can generalize based on it?
• What evidence do I have that this is the rule rather than the exception?

• Is this based on fact or feeling? Have my feelings ever turned out to be wrong?

• Is my expectation for this outcome realistic or even possible?

• How much control do I actually have in this situation?
• Am I taking responsibility for things over which I have no control?
• Am I ignoring aspects of the situation that I can control?

• How often is my anxiety actually correct?

• What evidence is there that conflicts with this belief?

Challenges to My Cognition

Alternate Viewpoints:

Rational Response:

New Strength of Belief in Negative Cognition

What Should I Do Now?