challenge your thoughts
Now that you’ve practiced recognizing self-defeating thoughts, the next step is to challenge their accuracy and replace them with more helpful perspectives.
ask yourself questions
When you notice a self-defeating thought, try asking yourself:
- What evidence supports this thought?
- What evidence contradicts this thought?
- Does this thought offer hope or solutions?
- Can I see this situation differently?
- What action can I take?
- What advice would I give a friend?
replace self-defeating thoughts
If the result of your thought-challenging is that you find that the thought is self-defeating, you can replace it. Reflect on the thought to create a more helpful thought which should be:
- Realistic
- Hopeful
- Reassuring
Create a custom plan to manage three of your own negative emotional triggers. If you are completing the activity on your mobile phone, click here for instructions.
understand, identify, challenge and replace, practice
