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Complete a Thought Journal Exercise

Updated

Thought Journals are used to identify cognitive distortions, with the intention of having you challenge and change your negative thoughts. To help shift natural thought patterns, use this tool regularly.

Completing Module 2 unlocks the 3-Step Thought Journal Tool. Completing Module 3 unlocks the full 4-Step Thought Journal Tool.

The mobile icon Instructions for the mobile app

  1. Select the care icon Care. From the mental health icon Mental Health, select Digital CBT.

  2. Log in to Digital CBT.

  3. Select Digital CBT Menu.

  4. In Tools, select Thought Journal.

  5. Select New Thought Journal entry . Add a Title and Situation. Select Continue.

  6. Name the feelings experienced during the situation, and choose a rating with the slider.

  7. In the text field, record a thought, and then select Add Thought.

    To add more thoughts, select the Add Thought button again. Then, select Continue.

  8. From Thinking Traps, select options that best apply to the thoughts you recorded. Select Continue.

  9. Select one thought and record evidence for and against this particular thought.

  10. Add a Balanced Thought and re-rate the intensity of the feelings about the situation. Select Continue.

The laptop icon Instructions for the web app

The Thought Journal page

Using the Thought Journal, you identify situations that cause you anxiety, identify the anxious automatic thoughts that feed that anxiety, and categorize those thoughts in order to better understand where they’re coming from. Then you challenge those thoughts by identifying evidence for or against. You can complete a Thought Journal entry any time you are feeling anxious.

  1. On the Navigation Bar, select Care Services and then Mental Health then Digital CBT.

  2. On the Dashboard, select Tools and then Thought Journal.

  3. Select the New Thought Journal Entry button.

  4. On the Entry Overview page, enter a Title and Situation, then select Continue.

  5. On the Automatic Thoughts page, enter your feelings about the situation, then select a rating for the strength of the feeling from the slider. In the Automatic Thoughts field, add any thoughts you have about the situation. To add more thoughts select Add Thought, and then select Continue.

  6. On the Thinking Traps page, identify and select the Thinking Traps that best describe your Automatic Thoughts, then select Continue.

  7. On the Balanced Thoughts page, complete the Evidence fields and select a rating for your feelings, then select Continue and then Back to Dashboard.

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