This sheet draws on ideas consistent with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). One of its most useful ideas is simple: thoughts, feelings, and actions pull on each other in a loop. The same moment can land very differently depending on the thought that shows up with it.
Quick picture. Two people wait for a family call that doesn't come. One thinks "something's wrong" and paces all evening. The other thinks "they probably got held up" and watches a show. Same moment — different thought, different feeling, different evening.
Your group leader brings the teaching; this page gives you a place to work it out for yourself. You do not need any earlier group to take part today.
The skill today is just to see one of your own loops clearly — not to fix it. Seeing the loop is what makes room to step in later.
| Moment | My sister ended our phone call after two minutes. |
|---|---|
| Thought | "She's done with me. I've worn everyone out." |
| Feeling | Heavy, ashamed — a sinking feeling in my stomach. |
| Action | Went to my room, skipped the evening group. |
| The loop | The thought fed the feeling, the feeling drove the action — and being alone made the thought feel more true. |
Pick a low-stakes moment from the last few days — one that feels okay to look at here. If you'd rather keep it general, that works too.
1. The moment — where, who, what happened (just the facts):
2. The feeling that came with it. Mark any that fit. sad anxious angry ashamed numb overwhelmed another word:
3. The thought underneath — the quiet sentence in your head. If nothing comes, you might try finishing: "This means ___ about me."
4. What you did next (or felt pulled to do):
5. Trace the loop. In your own words, how did the thought, the feeling, and the action feed each other?