A thought record is a table that allows you to challenge thoughts generated by cognitive distortions to balance out negative thinking. Essentially, it allows us to reason our way out of irrational perceptions and beliefs.
Going from left to right, fill each column:
| Situation | Moods | Automatic thoughts | Evidence for | Evidence against | Alternative Thoughts | Moods |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Describe the context in which the cognitive distortion was happening | What feelings the situation entailed | The distorting thoughts, also known as “hot thoughts” | What supports those thoughts | *This is where the work starts: Think of any evidence against those thoughts* | Mix the evidence for and against to arrive at a likely more accurate representation of reality | Thinking about the alternative thought, how do you feel? |