| If our thoughts and feelings are causing us | | | | |
| trouble, making us miserable, or causing us | | | | I am at work and I start to feel anxious. One |
| to act out in ways we don't want to, how can | | | | minute I'm working on an upcoming project, |
| we get a better picture of this cycle and | | | | and the next minute I'm so distracted by |
| learn how to change it? Our thoughts are | | | | worry that I can't even think about what I'm |
| going on continuously, creating our emotions, | | | | supposed to be doing. It seemed to come out |
| and we rarely stop to really think about what | | | | of nowhere. I'm in my cubicle, typing, and my |
| they mean. If we take stock of the situations | | | | boss walks by and looks at me before moving |
| that have caused us problems throughout the | | | | on. Why did he look at me like that? Does he |
| day, though, we can often recognize what we | | | | think that I'm not working hard enough? Does |
| were thinking at the time. At first this will | | | | he think that I'm not going to get the |
| take a bit of effort, but once we realize the | | | | project done on time? Is he trying to see if |
| negative thoughts that we're having | | | | I was taking care of personal business while |
| habitually, we can create a new habit of | | | | I am working? I hope he doesn't think that |
| recognizing them almost as soon as they pop | | | | I'm not a hard worker. |
| up. | | | | |
| | | | This is a simplified view of the process. |
| Keeping a journal of our automatic | | | | Here we can see what the person was thinking |
| thoughts-the thoughts that cause our feelings | | | | when the anxiety hit them. They were thinking |
| in any given situation-can help us to see | | | | that their boss thinks that they don't do a |
| them more consciously. Not everyone can carry | | | | good job. This automatic assessment of the |
| a journal around with them and write down | | | | simple act of the boss stopping to glance in |
| automatic thoughts as soon as they arise, but | | | | their direction while walking past causes |
| this isn't necessary. At the end of the day, | | | | anxiety, although the person doesn't even |
| look back over the situations in which you | | | | seem to relate the thought and the feeling at |
| felt anxious, sad, angry, or uncomfortable. | | | | the time. Journaling our automatic thoughts |
| Write down exactly what was happening. Use as | | | | in this way can help us to eventually get to |
| many details as possible. As you do this, try | | | | the underlying negative core beliefs. After |
| to remember what your thoughts were at the | | | | going through this process several times, we |
| time. It helps if you keep it in present | | | | can start to make the connection between what |
| tense. Were you thinking along the lines of | | | | we're thinking and the resulting emotions. |
| one of the cognitive distortions? Were you | | | | Once we're better at recognizing negative |
| thinking negative things about yourself or | | | | automatic thoughts as soon as they occur, we |
| the people around you? Were you thinking | | | | can learn ways of coping with them, and this |
| negatively about the events that were going | | | | will reduce the effect they have on our |
| on at the time? Here's a sample of what an | | | | feelings and actions at any given moment. |
| entry might look like: | | | | |