CBT · Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Catch It, Check It, Change It

A tool for slowing down, looking at a thought clearly, and responding in a way that is more balanced and more helpful

Why this matters

Thoughts happen fast — and most of them feel true in the moment. But a thought is not a fact. It is the mind's interpretation of what is happening, filtered through past experiences, fears, and beliefs that were formed long before now.

When we slow down and look at a thought directly, we often find that it is not as accurate — or as permanent — as it felt. That is what this worksheet is for.

The goal is not to argue with every thought or force yourself into a positive one. The goal is to slow down, look at the thought clearly, and respond in a way that is more balanced and more helpful.

Thoughts are not feelings — and feelings are not facts

Before you begin, it helps to know what you are working with. This worksheet is for thoughts — the sentences and stories your mind tells. Feelings are handled separately.

Feelings — one word

hurt
anxious
ashamed
angry
lonely
relieved

Thoughts — a sentence

"I already know how this is going to end."
"I should have handled that differently."
"Something is definitely wrong, I can feel it."
"Things never work out for me."
"He probably doesn't even care."
"There's no point in trying."

Both matter — but they need different things. This worksheet is for the thoughts. If you want to work with the feelings too, use the Name It, Understand It, Say It worksheet alongside this one.

Common thinking traps

These are patterns the mind falls into — automatic, fast, and often convincing. Most people use several of them without realizing it. Tap the ones that feel familiar to you.

Jumping to the worst case

"I assume the worst is going to happen — so I might as well act like it already has."

Sounds like: "He's probably cheating anyway, so I went through his phone." · "They're going to fire me eventually so I stopped trying as hard." · "It's never going to work out so why even start."

Mind reading

"I decide what someone else is thinking — without checking — and I respond to that instead of what actually happened."

Sounds like: "I could just tell she was judging me." · "He didn't say anything so I know he's mad." · "They probably think I'm too much."

Treating feelings as facts

"If I feel it strongly enough, it must be true — even if I can't point to any real evidence."

Sounds like: "I just know something is wrong, I can feel it." · "I don't have proof but I feel like he's lying." · "I feel unwanted so I must be."

All-or-nothing thinking

"If it is not perfect, it does not count. If something goes wrong, everything is ruined."

Sounds like: "We had one good week and then this happened — so nothing has really changed." · "I was doing so well and then I slipped up, so I just gave up." · "If I can't do it right I'd rather not do it at all."

Overgeneralizing

"One thing went wrong and it becomes proof about everything — my whole life, my relationship, who I am."

Sounds like: "This always happens to me." · "Every relationship I'm in ends up the same way." · "I can never just have a normal day."

Self-blame

"When something goes wrong, I look for how it was my fault — even when it wasn't fully in my control."

Sounds like: "If I had just handled it differently he wouldn't have gotten that way." · "I probably pushed her to that point." · "I knew something was off and I didn't say anything, so this is on me."

Negative filtering

"I can hear ten good things and one criticism — and the criticism is the only one I take home with me."

Sounds like: "The whole night was good until that one comment." · "He apologized but all I could think about was what he said." · "Everyone said it went well but I kept thinking about the part that didn't."

Labeling myself harshly

"Instead of describing what I did, I turn it into a statement about who I am."

Sounds like: "I'm just not a good partner." · "I'm the kind of person who ruins things." · "I'm too much. I've always been too much."

Fortune telling

"I decide how something is going to turn out before it happens — and I make choices based on that prediction."

Sounds like: "I already know how that conversation is going to go." · "There's no point in bringing it up, nothing will change." · "I knew it wasn't going to work before I even tried."

"Should" thinking

"I hold myself or others to rigid rules about how things are supposed to be — and feel guilt, shame, or resentment when reality doesn't match."

Sounds like: "I should have known better." · "I shouldn't even feel this way." · "He should just know what I need without me having to say it." · "I should be over this by now."

Traps I recognize in myself

Nothing selected yet — tap the ones that feel familiar.

Work through a thought

Pick one thought that has been showing up for you — something that has been hard to shake. Work through the steps below.

What happened

Catch the thought

Name the feeling

Check it

Change it

1

What happened right before this thought showed up?

The trigger

Just one line. A situation, a conversation, something you saw or heard — what set this off?

2

What thought showed up?

Catch it

Write it exactly as it sounded in your head — not the polished version, the raw one. One thought at a time.

Which thinking trap does this sound like? (optional)

3

What feeling came with this thought?

Name it

Tap a word or write your own. A feeling is one word — not a sentence.

anxious ashamed angry hurt hopeless sad frustrated scared worthless lonely guilty overwhelmed

Check it — look at the thought clearly

Answer as many of these as feel useful. You do not need to complete all of them.

What is the actual evidence that this thought is true?

Facts only — not feelings, not interpretations. What do you know for certain?

What is the evidence that it might not be fully true?

What has your mind left out? What would contradict this thought?

What would you say to a close friend who had this thought about themselves?

Would you agree with them — or would you offer a different perspective?

Is this thought about what is actually happening — or what you are afraid might happen?

Is this present reality, a past wound, or a fear about the future?

How much will this matter in one month? In one year?

This is not to dismiss the feeling — it is to widen the lens.

Change it — find a more balanced thought

The goal here is not to flip the thought into something positive. It is to find something more honest — a version that acknowledges what is hard without taking it further than the evidence supports. You do not have to fully believe it yet. Just make it more fair to yourself.

Try starting with: "It's true that _______, and it's also true that _______." That structure holds both sides without dismissing either one.

A more balanced version of the thought How does this version feel different from the original? What do you want to remember when this thought comes back?

Reflection

Take a moment with what came up in this exercise.

Which part of this was hardest? Did you notice anything about where this thought came from? Is this a thought that shows up often? What tends to trigger it?