The benefits of journaling are well recognised. Writing down your thoughts allows you to better evaluate them and thought diaries are a key tool in CBT.

Here is our thought diary for you to fill in:


Date:


Your Thought:


The feelings this thought generated:


What did you do in response:


Evaluation of the thought:

· Is it a reasonable thought?

· What is the evidence for it?

· What is the evidence against it?

· Which cognitive distortions can I see at play?


Reframe the thought:

· What value is there is letting the cognitive distortion I have observed continue?

· What thought would be more appropriate thought?

· What do I need to hear?


This kind of thought diary will allow you to be more conscious of your thoughts and choose whether to let cognitive distortions warp your thinking. It will also help you to start to reframe your internal narrative.