Activating Event

Beliefs about A

Consequence of B

Dispute of B

Effective new B

Feeling about A

Activating events are events that trigger intense emotional responses or dysfunctional behavior.  They may also be internal triggers such as a thought or feeling.  Examples:  making a mistake,  feeling nervous in a crowd, or thinking a bad thought.

Write down all of the automatic thoughts that come to mind about the activating event.  These will follow a theme that will help to identify the irrational beliefs and dysfunctional processes in your thinking. Example: “I am an idiot for making that stupid mistake.”  Identify that the assumption is that “I shouldn’t make mistakes”.

This column is for the feeling or dysfunctional behavior that seems to happen automatically in response to the activating event.  “I get depressed and frustrated when I make stupid mistakes”, the feelings are depressed and frustrated.  Rate your feelings on a scale of 1-10.   Example:  Sad:  7; Frustrated: 8.

Dispute the belief that is directly connected to the sad feeling.  Use logic, evidence, functionality.  Is it logical that one stupid mistake makes me an idiot?? Does the evidence of my life prove that I am an idiot? Does it help me make fewer mistakes or feel better to tell myself I am an idiot?

Replace the dysfunctional beliefs with healthier thoughts based on an accepting philosophy. Making mistakes does not make me an ‘idiot’ (or an incompetent, worthless person).  It is just a reflection of the fact that like all others, I am a flawed, fallible human being who is constantly changing.  That is acceptable because it is normal.  I am OK, human.

Once the new belief is arrived at, through the reframing process, check to see if the feeling associated with A has changed.  Rate the feelings on a scale of 1-10.  Example:  The sadness may have gone from Sad: 7 to Disappointed: 4.  The Frustration: 8 to Annoyed: 3.