Today, we’ll go over some foundational practices that can help you become more aware of your thoughts, assess their accuracy or helpfulness, and restructure them into balanced, realistic ones and successful ones.

One of the best ways to do this is with thought-challenging questions.

Here are a few that can help:

1. What evidence do I have for and against this thought? This helps us objectively consider if our thought has any real backing. Often, we’ll find that there isn’t as much evidence as we initially thought.

2. Is this thought based on facts or feelings? Emotions can be powerful and sometimes make us feel as if something is true, even when it isn’t.

3. What would I say to a friend if they had this thought? This question helps us take a kinder, more supportive perspective.

4. Is there another way to view this situation? Consider if there’s an alternative explanation that might be more balanced or realistic.

1. Identify the Thought: Write down the automatic thought that feels distressing or unhelpful. For example, “I’m always messing up at work.”

2. Challenge the Thought: Use the questions we discussed earlier to analyze and reduce the power of the thought. You might discover that you have a track record of successes at work, too, not just mistakes.

3. Create a Balanced Thought: Replace the original thought with something more balanced.

1. Practice Daily: Try setting aside a few minutes each day to reflect on any challenging thoughts and work through them using the steps we covered.

2. Be Kind to Yourself: Remember, everyone has negative thoughts. The goal is to manage them, not eliminate them.

3. Seek Support if Needed: CBT techniques can be powerful, but sometimes guidance from a CBT coach can make a big difference, especially when dealing with deeply ingrained thought patterns.

Dr. Barry M. Gregory Ed.D.,M.Ed., BA

Email: beaconacademy1954@gmail.com

Phone: 561-670-6736

Web Site: beaconreentryservices.com