Cognitive Behavioral Therapy works on one idea: it isn't events that flatten us, it's the thoughts we have about them — and thoughts can be caught, tested, and changed. Below: catch a hot thought, check it against the facts, and get moving again.
The engine of CBT. Walk a hot thought through the steps and watch how much it loosens once it meets the evidence.
The ten most common thinking traps. Tap any one for a plain example — naming the trap is half of loosening it.
No time for a full record? Run the thought past four quick questions.
Familiar thoughts feel true. That's not the same thing.
Mind-reading and fortune-telling feel like knowing. They're guesses.
A thought can be true and still be worth setting down if it only drags you.
When you're low, motivation follows action, not the other way round. Plan a small activity, guess how it'll feel, do it, then check — low mood almost always under-predicts.
These are self-help skills, not therapy, and not a diagnosis. If low mood, hopelessness, or anxious thoughts are heavy or persistent — or you're thinking of harming yourself — please reach a doctor, therapist, or a crisis line. Working with a real CBT therapist is more powerful than any worksheet.