What did you say to yourself? Why?
Negative self-talk can spiral quickly, making us believe harsh judgments about ourselves. A thought diary is a simple tool to slow this down, challenge those thoughts, and create a more balanced perspective.
Work through the following steps, and note your answers down.
Step 1: Identify Your Negative Self-Evaluations – catch the critic in action
- What is the at-risk situation?
- What am I saying to myself? (e.g., “I’m not good enough,” “I always fail”)
- How much do I believe this? (0–100%)
- What emotion(s) am I feeling? (rate intensity 0–100%)
- What behaviours did I engage in? (e.g., withdrawing, procrastinating, criticising myself)
Step 2: Challenge Your Negative Self-Evaluations – ask better questions
- What is the evidence for this evaluation?
- What is the evidence against it?
- Are these facts or opinions?
- How helpful is it to evaluate myself this way?
- What other perspectives could I consider?
- What advice would I give to a friend in this situation?
- What would be a more helpful behaviour right now?
Step 3: Balanced Self-Evaluation – find a fairer perspective
- A more balanced evaluation of myself is:
- How much do I believe my original negative thought now (0–100%)?
- How intense are my emotions now (0–100%)?
How do you feel after working through this little task?
