Challenges to Upsetting Thoughts
What is the Evidence to Support My View?
What evidence do I have to support my thoughts?
What evidence do I have against them?
What Alternative Views are there?
How would someone else view this situation?
How would I have viewed this situation in the
past?
What is the Effect of Thinking the way I
do?
Does it help me, or hinder me from getting what
I want? How?
What Thinking Error am I Making?
a.
Am I thinking in all-or-nothing terms
ignoring the middle ground?
b. Am I catastrophising
overestimating the chances
of disaster?
c. Am I personalizing?
blaming myself for something
which is not my fault?
d. Am I focusing on the
negative?
looking on the dark side;
ignoring my strengths?
e. Am I jumping to conclusions
predicting the future and
mind-reading?
f. Am I living
by fixed rules?
fretting about how things
ought to be;
overusing the words should,
must, and cant?
What Action Can I Take?/ What Can I Do to
Influence my Situation?
What can I do to change my situation?
Am I overlooking solutions to problems on
the assumption they wont work? (Ref: Powell T. 1992)
