Overcoming Thoughts

This is an older version of the Overcoming Negative Thoughts activity. Click here to use the newer version.

In this activity, you will learn skills to overcome a thought you struggle with. With practice, you can integrate these skills into your life, helping you gain greater control over your thoughts and actions.

What thought are you struggling with right now?

Work on other common thoughts. Click on the thought you’d like to work on below to start.

1. Some thoughts come to our mind so quickly that it seems like they must be true. We often accept these thoughts without considering other ways of thinking.
  
  Let’s rework the thought you struggle with. What is a healthier version of your thought above? This might be a different way of viewing the situation or a more compassionate statement to tell yourself.
2. Looking at evidence for your reworked thought reinforces that thought. It encourages a more self-compassionate way of thinking.
  
  What evidence in your life supports your reworked thought above?
3. Sometimes reworked thoughts don’t seem believable. This may be because there are core automatic beliefs driving your initial negative thought. These core beliefs can influence the way we see ourselves, other people, and the world.
  
  What core belief is driving your initial thought above? (If you are struggling to identify it, try asking yourself, “If this were true, what would it mean about me? Why does this matter to me? What would happen if this were true? What would happen next?”)
4. Like reworking thoughts, we can rework core beliefs by identifying healthier beliefs. A healthier belief might be a different way of viewing the world or yourself, especially a more self-compassionate statement to tell yourself.
  
  Rework the core belief. What is a healthier version of your core belief?
5. One way to reinforce a healthier belief is to find evidence that supports the healthier belief rather than the core belief.
  
  What evidence in your life supports this healthier core belief?
6. Being hurt sucks. Part of healing is letting go and working towards believing your new healthier thoughts.
  
  Why is it important for you to let go of this thought? OR What would letting go of this thought let you do?
7. Recognizing biased thoughts, reworking them, and reinforcing these healthier thoughts is a skill. With practice, this skill can become more intuitive and eventually become a habit.
  
  This practice can help you feel more hopeful, confident and in control of your situation.
  
  Pretend you’re talking to a friend. What would you say to encourage them to recognize and rework thoughts like you do above?
8. What good would come from reflecting on your thought and reworking it like you did above?
1. What you do influences how you feel and think. If you change what you do, you can change how you feel and what you think.
  
  What could you do to make you feel better or think differently than the thought above?
2. When we do things despite having thoughts we struggle with, we can better reach our goals.
  
  What success might come from doing the thing above?
3. When you do new things, it is helpful to identify obstacles you might face.
  
  What is one obstacle you may encounter if you do the thing above?
4. Now that you’ve identified the obstacle, imagine how you could respond to it in a way that allows you to continue moving forward.
  
  How will you deal with that obstacle you identified to do the thing above?
5. Just like packing a bag for a vacation, sometimes you need to take steps to prepare to do something.
  
  What would be the first step of doing the thing above?
6. Sometimes we need support or encouragement to get something done – like a workout buddy or a to-do list to check something off.
  
  What would you need to help you do the thing above?
7. Recognizing biased thoughts and doing something despite them is a useful skill that can make us think and feel better.
  
  Pretend you’re talking to a friend. What would you say to encourage them to do things despite thoughts, like you did above.
8. What good would come from reflecting on your thought and reflecting on doing something to think and feel better like you did above?

What Others Are Saying

I'm under a lot of pressure.

"I'm under a lot of pressure."

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Self Doubt

"Self Doubt"

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motivation

"motivation"

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my friends are all prettier than I am

"my friends are all prettier than I am"

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That Victoria is no longer in love with me - that she will want to break up

"That Victoria is no longer in love with me - that she will want to break up"

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That my health will decline rapidly

"That my health will decline rapidly"

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I WORRIE ALOT, ESPECIALLY ABOUT MY 1 N' ONLY SON.

"I WORRIE ALOT, ESPECIALLY ABOUT MY 1 N' ONLY SON."

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people at work stabbing me in the back

"people at work stabbing me in the back"

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dabfa

"dabfa"

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Isolation

"Isolation"

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dfda

"dfda"

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Everyone hates me

"Everyone hates me"

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My friends don't like me

"My friends don't like me"

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Failing

"Failing"

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My husband will leave me

"My husband will leave me"

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Today is 4.2.2025. new year new meeeeeeeeee. Im good.. im not depressed and i want to live. i feel like i am a new person reading old messages, i almost feel like someone else wrote it and like im incapable of feeling like i felt before or of things i was describing which is good. Im really fine. im stil not close to my famiy ike i wanted but time is the keyyyyy. im working on myself and i know im on my way to the best version of myself (or at least a good one) poor me i cant believe i was feeling like that. of course sometimes im still anxious but that depression is gone.

"Today is 4.2.2025. new year new meeeeeeeeee. Im good.. im not depressed and i want to live. i feel like i am a new person reading old messages, i almost feel like someone else wrote it and like im incapable of feeling like i felt before or of things i was describing which is good. Im really fine. im stil not close to my famiy ike i wanted but time is the keyyyyy. im working on myself and i know im on my way to the best version of myself (or at least a good one) poor me i cant believe i was feeling like that. of course sometimes im still anxious but that depression is gone."

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Negative thoughts

"Negative thoughts"

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im ugly

"im ugly"

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I feel really sad

"I feel really sad"

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Feeling anxious about a test

"Feeling anxious about a test"

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V2K

"V2K"

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rude patients

"rude patients"

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not being able to finish my powerpoint

"not being able to finish my powerpoint"

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mike had sex with someone else on that bed

"mike had sex with someone else on that bed"

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mike having had sex with someone else

"mike having had sex with someone else"

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beat

"beat"

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I will always be sad.

"I will always be sad."

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My mom doesn’t love me

"My mom doesn’t love me"

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Overcoming Thoughts

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What Others Are Saying