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Finding Alternative Thoughts

In: Psychology

Submitted By xfmkx
Words 340
Pages 2
Unhelpful Thinking Habit

Alternative more balanced thought

Mental Filter

Am I only noticing the bad stuff? Am I filtering out the positives? Am I wearing those
‘gloomy specs’? What would be more realistic?

Mind-Reading

Am I assuming I know what others are thinking? What’s the evidence? Those are my own thoughts, not theirs. Is there another, more balanced way of looking at it?

Prediction

Am I thinking that I can predict the future? How likely is it that that might really happen? Compare & despair

Am I doing that ‘compare and despair’ thing? What would be a more balanced and helpful way of looking at it?

Critical self

There I go, that internal bully’s at it again. Would most people who really know me say that about me? Is this something that I am totally responsible for?

Shoulds and musts

Am I putting more pressure on myself, setting up expectations of myself that are almost impossible? What would be more realistic?

Judgements

I’m making an evaluation about the situation or person. It’s how I make sense of the world, but that doesn’t mean my judgements are always right or helpful. Is there another perspective?

Emotional Reasoning

Just because it feels bad, doesn’t necessary mean it is bad. My feelings are just a reaction to my thoughts – and thoughts are just automatic brain reflexes

Mountains and molehills Am I exaggerating the risk of danger? Or am I exaggerating the negative and minimising the positives? How would someone else see it? What’s the bigger picture?

Catastrophising

OK, thinking that the worst possible thing will definitely happen isn’t really helpful right now. What’s most likely to happen?

Black and white thinking Things aren’t either totally white or totally black – there are shades of

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