Challenging Unhelpful Thoughts

Some of the thoughts that go through our minds are brutal. If we start to self-identify with every thought that crosses our mind,  life can get pretty depressing.  Cognitive Behavioral Therapists believe that we think and give weight to determines how we feel and act in life. To help you challenge the "scaries" aka unhelpful thoughts ask yourself some of the below questions

1. What does the evidence point to?

• what's the evidence for the thought?
• ​what's the evidence against the thought?

2. Is this thought helpful?

• Will those thoughts help you achieve your goals?
• Do thoughts like this have my best interest in mind?

3. What Are some alternative perspectives?

• What would I tell someone I love if they were having this thought?

4. Does this thought fall into one of the below red flag categories?

• All or nothing thinking
• Catastrophizing
• Making assumptions
• Am I holding myself to unreasonable standards?

​By becoming aware of our thought we start to create some space to get curious and investigate. Do we want to follow a certain thought down the rabbit hole? We can't stop the thoughts, but we can learn to relate to them in a different way.  We can start to look at them without investing mindlessly in them.