Cognitive Distortions
This distortion happens when someone expects the worst possible outcome.
What is catastrophizing?
In CBT, this question helps test whether a thought is accurate: “What is the _____?”
What is evidence?
Feeling nervous, shaky, and worried before a test is an example of this emotion.
What is anxiety?
This breathing strategy involves slowly inhaling and exhaling to calm the body.
What is deep breathing?
Change this thought into a balanced thought: “I never do anything right.”
Example: “Sometimes I make mistakes, but I also do many things well.”
This thinking error involves seeing things as all good or all bad with no middle ground.
What is black-and-white thinking (all-or-nothing thinking)?
A student thinks, “Everyone hates me.” Name one CBT skill that could help challenge this thought.
What is looking for evidence, reframing, or testing the thought?
In CBT, rating emotions from 1–10 helps measure this.
What is emotional intensity?
Name one healthy coping skill for stress.
Examples: exercise, journaling, talking to a friend, listening to music, mindfulness.
This CBT skill involves replacing extreme thoughts with more realistic ones.
What is reframing or cognitive restructuring?
This distortion happens when you assume you know what other people are thinking about you.
What is mind reading?
This CBT strategy involves looking for another explanation for a situation.
What is finding an alternative thought or alternative explanation?
Name two physical signs of stress or anxiety.
Examples: sweating, fast heartbeat, shaky hands, upset stomach, muscle tension.
This coping skill focuses on paying attention to the present moment.
What is mindfulness?
Rewrite this thought: “If I fail one quiz, I am stupid.”
Examples: “One quiz does not define my intelligence,” or “Everyone struggles sometimes.”
This thinking pattern happens when one bad event is seen as a never-ending pattern.
What is overgeneralization?
True or False: Thoughts are always facts.
What is false?
This skill involves identifying and naming emotions instead of ignoring them.
What is emotional awareness?
This relaxation strategy involves tightening and relaxing muscles.
What is progressive muscle relaxation?
True or False: Balanced thoughts are always positive thoughts.
What is false?
This distortion happens when someone predicts negative outcomes without evidence.
What is fortune telling?
A friend does not text back for hours. Give one balanced thought instead of “They are mad at me.”
Examples: “They may be busy,” “Their phone could be off,” or “I do not know why they have not replied yet.”
Someone feels angry after being interrupted repeatedly. What is one possible trigger?
Examples: feeling disrespected, not being heard, frustration, embarrassment.
A person feels overwhelmed and takes a short walk outside to calm down. This is an example of using a healthy _____ skill.
What is coping?
A person thinks, “Nobody likes me.” Name one question they could ask themselves to challenge this thought.
Examples: “What evidence supports this?” “Is this completely true?” or “Who in my life cares about me?”