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Thoughts & feelings

Thought record

Catch an upsetting thought, check it against the evidence, and find a more balanced one.

About 10 minutes · 10 questions · a log you can repeat any timeCBT
Fill it in online — freeThe print dialog can also save it as a PDF.

Thoughts & feelings~10 minRepeat any timeCBT

Thought record

Catch an upsetting thought, check it against the evidence, and find a more balanced one.

Why this helps

The thought record is a core tool of cognitive behavioral therapy (Beck). How we feel follows how we interpret what happens. Slowing down to examine a thought — instead of arguing with yourself — reliably turns down the intensity of the feeling.

1. The situation — who, what, when, where (just the facts)

2. What I felt

Anxious, ashamed, angry, hopeless…

3. How strong was the feeling?

0 = Barely01234567891010 = As strong as it gets

4. The thought that went through my mind

Pick the one carrying the most feeling — the 'hot thought'.

5. Thinking traps I notice

Check any that apply

  • All-or-nothing
  • Catastrophizing (expecting the worst)
  • Mind reading
  • Fortune telling
  • 'Should' and 'must' statements
  • Labeling ('I'm a failure')
  • Emotional reasoning ('I feel it, so it's true')
  • Discounting the positive
  • Overgeneralizing ('always', 'never')
  • Personalizing ('it's all my fault')

6. Evidence that supports the thought

7. Evidence that doesn't fit the thought

What would I tell a friend? What's happened before? What am I leaving out?

8. A more balanced thought

9. How strong is the feeling now?

0 = Barely01234567891010 = As strong as it gets

10. Anything I want to do now

From the Workbook on Amity Connect, via RecoveryHome.comFor reflection and practice — not a diagnosis or a substitute for professional care. In crisis, call or text 988.amityconnect.com/app/workbook/thought-record
Keep your answers somewhere safe
This worksheet, online and private, on Amity Connect — free for individuals, built by the same team. Your answers stay yours; if you're with a recovery home that uses it, they can assign it to you and see only what you choose to share.
Open it on Amity Connect
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About this worksheet
It comes from the Amity Connect workbook, built by the same team as RecoveryHome, and is free to print and share. It's for reflection and practice — not a diagnosis, and not a substitute for professional care. Content is never written or edited by advertisers. If you're in crisis, call or text 988.

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Thought record — free printable worksheet · RecoveryHome