1d • General discussion
🌿 Exercise: Is This Thought True?
Purpose
To learn to notice your thoughts instead of automatically believing or reacting to them.
1. NOTICE THE THOUGHT
Think of something that has been bothering you recently.
Write the thought exactly as it appears in your mind:
“____________________________________________”
Don’t try to make it sound better. Just write what your mind is telling you.
2. PAUSE
Take a slow breath.
Now say:
“I am having the thought that…”
Repeat your thought:
“I am having the thought that __________________________.”
Pause for a moment and notice what changes when you put these words in front of the thought.
You are not saying the thought is true or false.
You are simply recognising that it is a thought you are having.
3. INVESTIGATE THE THOUGHT
Ask yourself:
- Is this definitely true?
- What evidence do I have that supports this thought?
- What evidence do I have that doesn’t support it?
- Am I predicting the future?
- Am I assuming I know what someone else is thinking?
- Am I looking at this situation from only one perspective?
- Am I being harder on myself than I would be on a friend?
Take your time. There is no “right” answer.
4. FIND A MORE BALANCED THOUGHT
Don’t force yourself to replace the thought with something unrealistically positive.
Instead, find a thought that feels more realistic, kind and helpful.
Example 1
❌ “Nobody cares about me.”
→ “I’m feeling disconnected right now, but that doesn’t mean nobody cares about me.”
Example 2
❌ “I always get things wrong.”
→ “I made a mistake. I can learn from it without making it mean something about my worth.”
Your more balanced thought:
“__________________________________________________”
5. CHOOSE YOUR RESPONSE
Now ask yourself:
“If I didn’t have to believe this thought, what would I choose to do next?”
Choose one small action that supports you rather than the thought.
For example:
Thought: “Nobody wants to spend time with me.”
Instead of withdrawing, I could:
Message a friend and ask if they would like to meet for coffee.
Thought: “I’m going to get this wrong.”
Instead of avoiding it, I could:
Take one small step and remind myself that I can learn as I go.
Thought: “I’m not good enough.”
Instead of comparing myself to others, I could:
Take a breath, step away from comparison and focus on what I can do today.
My small action:
Today I will ______________________________________.
💚 REMEMBER
You don’t need to analyse every thought that comes into your mind.
Instead, pay attention to the thoughts that keep coming back, especially those that cause you distress, affect your confidence, or influence how you behave.
The goal isn’t to replace every negative thought with a positive one.
The goal is to create space between the thought and your reaction, so you can question it and choose how you want to respond.
You have a thought. You don’t have to become the thought.
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🌿 Exercise: Is This Thought True?
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