• Ask yourself if you're genuinely hearing someone before responding, and be sincere in your response.
  • Do what is needed for the situation you are in—not the situation you wish you were in; not the one that is fair; not the one that is more comfortable.

Challenges to an unhelpful thought

  • Is there any evidence against this thought?
  • Is there any evidence for this thought (based in fact)?
  • Can you identify any patterns of unhelpful thinking?
  • What would you say to a friend who had this thought in a similar situation?
  • Is there another way of looking at this situation?
  • Is there a proactive solution to this unhelpful thought?

Patterns of unhelpful thinking

  • Mind reading
  • Labelling
  • Predicting the future
  • Catastrophising
  • Personalisation
  • Over-generalising
  • Focusing on the negatives
  • Underestimating ability to cope with fear and anxiety
aug 19 2025 ∞
sep 22 2025 +