Division of Student Life  >  Center for Health and Counseling  >  Education Topics  >  Automatic Thought Record

When you notice your mood getting worse, ask yourself, What’s going through my mind right now?  As soon as possible, fill in the table below

Date, Time

Situation

Automatic Thoughts

Emotion

Adaptive Response

Outcome

 

*What led to the unpleasant emotion?
*What distressing physical sensations did you have?

*What thought/s or image/s went through your mind?
How much did you believe the thought at the time (0-100%)

*What emotion/s did you feel at the time?
How intense was the emotion (0-100%)

*Which thinking styles did you engage in?
*Use questions below to respond to the automatic thought/s.

*How much do you believe each (0-100%)

*How much do you now believe your Automatic Thoughts (0-100%)
*What emotion(s) do you now feel? At what intensity?

Questions to compose an Adaptive Response:

  1. What is the evidence that the automatic thought is true?  Not true?
  2. Is there an alternative explanation?
  3. What’s the worse that could happen?  What’s the best that can happen?  What’s the most realistic outcome?
  4. If a friend were in this situation and had this thought, what would I tell him/her?