The first step to challenging unhelpful thoughts, and therefore breaking unhelpful thought patterns, is to identify your unhelpful thoughts.

1. Mind Reading – assuming we know what others are thinking

2. Predicting – believing we know what will happen in the future

3. Comparing – seeing the positive in others and the negatives in ourselves

4. Self-Critiquing – putting ourselves down and blaming ourselves for things that are not our complete responsibility

5. Should and Must – saying we should or must do something puts pressure on ourselves and sets up unrealistic expectations

6. Catastrophising – imaging the worst will happen

7. Emotional Reasoning – if I feel this bad, it must be this bad

8. Molehills – exaggerating the risk or the negatives

9. Judgements – making a judgement rather than what we can actually see or have evidence for

10. Black and White – believing that something can be either good or bad rather than somewhere in the middle

11. Memories – unreliable source of information which can cause distress in the present

12. Noticing Filter – looking through blinkers, seeing what we want to see, thinking what fits, catching negativity in your mental fishing net and letting the positivity get through

EVERYONE has or continues to experience some of these unhelpful thoughts in their life.

For now, try to think of examples in your own life where you have engaged with unhelpful thinking. How to challenge these thoughts will come later!