THOUGHTS
What is a thought?
Something your brain says or thinks about a situation.
Name one feeling.
Happy, sad, angry, worried, nervous, embarrassed, excited, etc.
What is an action?
Something you do or a behavior you choose.
What are the three parts of the CBT Triangle?
Thoughts – Feelings – Actions/Behaviors
Is this a thought or a feeling?
“Nobody likes me.”
Thought.
True or False: Thoughts can affect how we feel.
True!
True or False: Everyone feels the same emotion in every situation.
False!
Is running away from a scary situation a thought, feeling, or action?
Action.
True or False: Thoughts, feelings, and actions can all affect one another.
True!
Is this a thought or a feeling?
“I'm scared.”
Feeling.
You walk into class and think, “Nobody is going to want to sit with me.” Is this a thought, feeling, or action?
Thought.
Your teacher asks you to present in front of the class. You feel your stomach hurt and your heart beat faster. What feeling might you be having?
Nervous/anxious/worried.
You're angry because your sibling took your toy. You yell and slam your door. Are those thoughts, feelings, or actions?
Actions.
You think, “Everyone is going to laugh at me.” You feel nervous. You decide not to go to the birthday party. Identify all three parts.
🧠 Thought: “Everyone will laugh at me.”
💗 Feeling: Nervous
🧍 Action: Don't go to the party.
A friend walks past you without saying hello.
Your brain says:
“They don't like me anymore.”
What could you do to check whether that thought is actually true?
Ask them, look for evidence, or consider another explanation.
Your friend doesn't say hi to you. You think, “They must be mad at me.” Name one other thought you could have about the situation.
Your friend tells you they don't want to play with you today. You feel sad. What is one action you might take because of that feeling?
You feel nervous about raising your hand in class. Name one action that might make the nervous feeling bigger and one action that might help.
Makes it bigger: Avoiding raising your hand.
Helpful: Taking a breath and trying to raise your hand.
You have the thought, “I can't do this.” What feeling might that create? What action might follow?
Feeling: Worried, frustrated, scared, sad, etc.
Action: Give up, avoid it, cry, ask for help, etc.
Your coach says, “We need to practice that skill more.”
You think: “I'm terrible at sports.”
What's the problem with this thought?
It's an all-or-nothing/overgeneralized thought. One skill being difficult doesn't mean you're terrible at sports.
A child thinks, “I always mess everything up.” Is this a helpful or unhelpful thought? What could they say instead?
Unhelpful thought.
A more helpful thought could be: “I made a mistake, but I can learn from it.”
Can two people experience the same situation but have completely different feelings? Give an example.
Yes! For example, one child might feel excited about starting school while another child feels nervous.
You're thinking, “I'm going to fail,” and feeling really nervous before a test. You decide not to study and avoid looking at the test. How might those actions affect your feelings?
They might make the anxiety even bigger because avoiding the situation can make it seem even scarier.
You have a big test tomorrow.
You think: “I'm going to fail.”
You feel: __________
You act: __________
Now change the thought to a more helpful one. How might the feeling and action change?
Example:
Thought: “I'm going to fail.”
Feeling: Worried
Action: Avoid studying
Helpful thought: “This test might be hard, but I can prepare and do my best.”
Feeling: More calm/confident
Action: Study/ask for help/try the test.
Your friend doesn't invite you to play.
You think: “Nobody wants to be my friend.”
You feel: sad and embarrassed.
You decide to sit alone and not talk to anyone.
Your challenge: Identify all 3 parts of the CBT Triangle AND come up with a more helpful thought and action.
🧠 Thought: “Nobody wants to be my friend.”
💗 Feeling: Sad/embarrassed
🧍 Action: Sit alone/avoid others
Helpful thought:
“I wasn't invited this time, but that doesn't mean nobody likes me. I can ask someone else to play.”
Helpful action:
Ask another friend to play, join another activity, or talk to someone.