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How to do a CBT thought record, with a worked example
A step-by-step guide to the CBT thought record (or thought diary): the seven steps, what to write in each, and a full example you can copy.
A thought record is the most widely used worksheet in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Some people call it a thought diary. It helps you slow down a moment that upset you, look at the thought behind the feeling, and find a fairer way of seeing it.
It takes about ten minutes. You need a pen and paper, a notes app or a journal.
The seven steps
The common version has seven columns. Here is what goes in each, with one example running all the way through.
1. The situation
What happened, in one or two sentences, like a news report: where you were, what happened, who was there. Facts only.
"Thursday, 4 pm. My manager moved our one-to-one to tomorrow and didn't say why."
2. Your feelings, and how strong they are
Name the emotions and rate each one from 0 to 100.
"Anxious 80. Ashamed 40."
The numbers matter. They let you notice change later, even when the feeling doesn't go away completely.
3. The automatic thought
The thought that showed up in your head, in the exact words you'd use. There are often several. Pick the one that stings most; therapists call it the hot thought.
"I'm going to lose my job."
4. Evidence for the thought
Facts that support it. Facts, not feelings.
"She moved the meeting without explaining. Two people have left the team this year."
5. Evidence against the thought
Facts that don't fit it. This is the hardest column, so give it the most time.
"Last week she thanked me for the report. Meetings get moved all the time. Nobody has raised a problem with my work."
6. A fairer thought
Write a version that takes both columns into account. It doesn't have to be positive. It has to be something you can believe.
"I don't know what the meeting is about yet. My work has been solid, and I can ask her tomorrow."
7. Rate your feelings again
Go back to step 2 and rate the same feelings.
"Anxious 45. Ashamed 15."
A drop from 80 to 45 is a good result. The aim is a lighter feeling, not zero.
Tips that make it work
- Write it down. Doing it in your head tends to loop. Writing slows your thoughts to the speed of a pen.
- Check for thinking traps. Between steps 3 and 4, ask whether the thought falls into a trap such as mind reading or catastrophizing. Our list of 10 cognitive distortions has examples of each.
- Do it soon, but not at the peak. If a feeling is at 95, take a walk first. Thought records work best when you can think.
- Keep them. Reading old records shows patterns: the same situations, the same thoughts, the same traps. Seeing the pattern is often where change starts.
A thought record you can sit in
Leaf by Leaf turns the thought record into seven short pages, one plain question at a time. You write what happened and the thought that keeps coming back, and your words settle on a leaf. The leaf hangs lower the stronger the feeling, fog rolls in when you circle a thinking trap, and light comes through while you weigh the evidence. At the end you rate the feeling again and the tree lets the leaf go.
You can try all seven pages on the home page without buying anything. Nothing you write there is saved or sent.
A thought record is a self-help tool. If you've been struggling a lot, or for a long time, please talk to a doctor or a CBT therapist.