Cognitive Distortions Worksheet

In this worksheet, you will explore different types of cognitive distortions—unhelpful thought patterns that can affect your emotions and behaviors. Read each prompt carefully and use the space provided to reflect on your own experiences. Remember, there are no right or wrong answers!

Identifying Cognitive Distortions

1. What does the term "cognitive distortion" mean to you?
   
   
   
   
   
   

2. List at least three common cognitive distortions (e.g., all-or-nothing thinking, overgeneralization, catastrophizing).
   
   
   
   
   
   

3. For each cognitive distortion you listed, provide an example of how it might show up in everyday thinking.
   
   
   
   
   
   

Personal Reflection

4. Reflect on a recent situation where you might have experienced one of these cognitive distortions. Briefly describe the situation (without sharing sensitive details).
   
   
   
   
   
   

5. How did this thought pattern affect your mood or behavior in that situation?
   
   
   
   
   
   

Challenging and Reframing Thoughts

6. Choose one cognitive distortion from your list and write down an alternative, more balanced thought that challenges the distortion.
   
   
   
   
   
   

7. How might this new way of thinking change your perspective or response to similar situations in the future?
   
   
   
   
   
   

Take your time to complete each section. If you need additional space for your answers, feel free to use the back of the page.

Discussion Prompts: Challenging Unhelpful Thoughts

This discussion aims to foster a safe and supportive space for sharing ideas about cognitive distortions and the strategies to challenge them. Use these prompts to guide the conversation, and feel free to add your own reflections.

Guidelines for Discussion

• Active Listening: Listen attentively when others are speaking without interrupting.
  
  
  
• Respect: Share your thoughts respectfully and consider the feelings of your peers.
  
  
  
• Confidentiality: What is shared in this discussion stays in this group.
  
  
  
• Open-Mindedness: Be open to different perspectives and insights.

Discussion Prompts

1. What is a Cognitive Distortion?
   

   • In your own words, describe what you think a cognitive distortion is and how it might affect the way we see ourselves or situations around us.
     
     
     
     
     
     

2. Identifying Patterns:
   

   • Think about a recent situation where you felt negatively about yourself or a situation. Can you identify if there was a cognitive distortion involved?
     
     
     
     
     
     

3. Techniques for Reframing:
   

   • What strategies have you heard of or used to challenge and reframe negative thoughts? Can you share a personal example or a scenario where such techniques might help?
     
     
     
     
     
     

4. Peer Insights:
   

   • What did you hear from your peers that resonated with you or made you think differently about your own thought patterns?
     
     
     
     
     
     

5. Moving Forward:
   

   • How can the insights from today's discussion help you in moments when you catch yourself engaging in unhelpful thinking? What might be a useful technique to try in the future?
     
     
     
     
     
     

Follow-Up Points

• Sharing Techniques: Consider summarizing and sharing a list of reframing techniques as a class resource.
  
  
  
• Journaling Exercise: Encourage students to journal about their experiences with cognitive distortions and the techniques they find most effective.
  
  
  
• Role-Playing: If time permits, hold a short role-playing session where students practice challenging a negative thought in a supportive scenario.
  
  
  

Remember, the goal is to build awareness and equip you with strategies to manage and reframe unhelpful thoughts. There is no right or wrong answer; your personal insights are valuable.

Happy discussing!

Cognitive Distortions Handout

This handout provides an overview of common cognitive distortions (also known as thinking traps) from a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) approach. Use this as a reference to help you recognize and challenge unhelpful patterns in your thinking.

Below are some common cognitive distortions along with their definitions and examples:

1. All-or-Nothing Thinking

Definition: Seeing things in black and white, with no gray areas.

Example: "I failed this quiz, so I'm a total failure at school."

2. Overgeneralization

Definition: Taking a single event and generalizing it to an overall pattern of defeat.

Example: "I didn't get invited to one party, so I'll never be liked by anyone."

3. Mental Filter

Definition: Focusing solely on the negative aspects of a situation while ignoring the positive.

Example: "Even though I received compliments on my presentation, I can only think about the one piece of criticism I got."

4. Discounting the Positive

Definition: Dismissing positive experiences as if they don't count.

Example: "I got an A on the test, but that was just luck, not because I'm smart."

5. Jumping to Conclusions

Subtypes: Mind Reading and Fortune Telling

Definition: Making negative interpretations without concrete evidence.

Example (Mind Reading): "I know my friend is upset with me, even though they haven't said so."

Example (Fortune Telling): "I'm going to fail this class even though I've been studying hard."

6. Magnification and Minimization

Definition: Exaggerating the importance of problems (magnification) or downplaying the significance of positive events (minimization).

Example: "A small mistake I made is a huge flaw in my character."

7. Emotional Reasoning

Definition: Believing that your emotions reflect reality.

Example: "I feel anxious about the exam, so I must be unprepared."

8. Should Statements

Definition: Imposing rigid rules on yourself or others, leading to guilt or frustration when they aren’t met.

Example: "I should always be perfect in everything I do."

9. Labeling and Mislabeling

Definition: Assigning global negative labels to yourself or others based on specific actions.

Example: "I made one mistake, so I'm a complete idiot."

10. Personalization

Definition: Believing that you are entirely responsible for events outside of your control.

Example: "My friend is upset, and it must be because of something I did."

Use this handout to reflect on your own thought patterns. Can you identify times when you might have fallen into one or more of these traps?

Take a moment to jot down any thoughts or examples that resonate with you below: