Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) Skills Workbook

CBT Skills Training Book Wellbeing Services

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

Skills Workbook

Learn more about depression, low mood, anxiety, worry, stress or panic

and how CBT can help you

Hertfordshire Wellbeing Services

The organisations within this pack are not currently recommended by

this service and are for information only. This booklet is copyrighted by

Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust ©

Thoughts

Behaviour

Physical

Symptoms

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Sometimes it is common to experience thoughts of very low mood or

suicide. If you feel that you mood has deteriorated, and you are unable to

manage how you are feeling, please contact the Mental Health Helpline on

(01438) 843322, see your GP for an urgent appointment, call 111 or attend

your nearest A&E. You can also call the Samaritans on 116 123.

Please be reassured by contacting the above services you will be able to

talk through how you feel and what your options for support are.

Samaritans website: www.samaritans.org

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Contents

Introduction

Understanding depression, low mood, anxiety,

panic or worry.

ABC Model

Setting goals – SMART goals

Lifestyle changes

Increasing activity levels – behavioural

activation

Facing your fears – overcoming anxiety

and panic

Containing worry

Problem solving

Thought challenging – cognitive restructuring

Wellbeing blueprint

Next Steps

Further Reading

- 5

- 6

- 15

- 19

- 25

- 30

- 37

- 44

- 49

- 53

- 61

- 65

- 66

Tool 1 –

Tool 2 –

Tool 3 –

Tool 4 –

Tool 5 –

Tool 6 –

Tool 7 –

Tool 8 –

Tool 9 –

Tool 10 –

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Introduction

The Wellbeing Service offers support for people who are experiencing difculties

with depression, low mood, anxiety, worry, stress or panic. This workbook has been

designed to be used whilst attending one of our Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

Skills workshops or with support from your Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner (PWP).

Low mood, anxiety, worry, stress and panic can affect many people at different times in

their lives. It may be a one-off occurrence or may reoccur on several occasions. It can

be a very frightening, unbearable and lonely experience. It can feel as if it will never

get any better. It may have taken some time to realise that you are struggling with your

mood.

The aim of this workbook is to introduce you to a number of tools that will help you build

up your own ‘toolkit’ to help manage your current symptoms of depression or anxiety

and maintain progress towards long-term recovery. The tools covered in this workbook

are based on the principles of evidence based Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.

CBT looks at how your thoughts, physical feelings, emotions and behaviours are all

interlinked and have an impact on each other. CBT uses practical strategies to help

you make changes which are more positive and realistic. It is very important for you to

put these strategies into practice as the more you put in, the more you get out of CBT.

You will notice as you read through the workbook that there are a number of exercises

for you to complete. Try and work through these activities spending more time on those

that seem more useful to you and your current problems. Speak with your PWP if you

experience any difculties with the techniques.

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Tool 1: Understanding Depression

What is depression or low mood?

Depression is a distressing experience. Physical symptoms of low mood can affect the

way that we think, what we do and how we feel. This can then spiral into a vicious cycle,

making it harder to cope, to do the things that we used to do, our thinking continues to

be negative or unhelpful. This then reinforces how low we feel physically and mentally.

Our thoughts can be very negative when we’re depressed. We can be unkind and critical

of ourselves. We might overgeneralise or catastrophize, we might jump to conclusions,

we might think that we know what other people are thinking (mind reading). We can

nd it very difcult to see anything positive in our situation, only the bad. We might even

think that our feelings are indeed facts. We can feel quite hopeless about the future.

Research has shown that the main causes for low mood can be linked to genetics,

biology, early difcult experiences in life, ongoing stress or life events. Different factors

contribute to people’s depression but the symptoms are very common to all. It is

thought that a combination of low serotonin (a chemical within the brain), inactivity and

unhelpful thoughts all lead to depression. Some say it is the body’s way of saying we

need to do something about this.

We tend to default to negative thinking when we are depressed. We may think that

other people do not like us. We may withdraw from work or social activities. In the

short term is easier to cope with not seeing people or going out. On top of that we may

have difculties sleeping, or eating well. We may feel guilty if we are irritable or grumpy

towards our friends and family or if we overeat. Thoughts such as ‘what’s the point’

may make it difcult to motivate ourselves to get up and dressed.

When experiencing depression we can also have thoughts about harming ourselves

or others. We can think that life is not worth living, wishing that we did not wake up or

may have eeting thoughts about harming or killing ourselves. These kinds of thoughts

are a quite common symptom of depression and it can be frightening. If these thoughts

become unmanageable and you feel suicidal please see your GP urgently, call 111, call

the Mental Health helpline on 01438 843322, or attend your nearest A&E. Contacting

these services will enable you to receive the more immediate support needed to help

you overcome this.

Your GP may have prescribed you antidepressants to help you feel better by reducing

some of the symptoms of depression. Talk to your GP or PWP if you have any questions

about how to manage your medication. By using the CBT techniques within this booklet

we hope to help you make those life changes to enable recovery.

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What is low mood?

Activity

Take a look at the lists below for some symptoms of low mood.

Thoughts Emotions

□

"I’m a failure"

□

Depressed

□

"People think I’m stupid"

□

Sad

□

"Nobody likes me"

□

Lethargic

□

"There’s no point, I won’t enjoy it"

□

Irritable

□

"I might as well not be here"

□

Suicidal

Physical symptoms Behaviours

□

Difculties sleeping

□

Social withdrawal

□

Poor appetite or over eating

□

Increased smoking or drinking

□

Tearful

□

Decrease in activities

□

Loss of sex drive

□

Sleeping during the day

How does low mood affect you?

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Tool 1: Understanding Anxiety

What is anxiety?

Anxiety is a range of normal though unpleasant emotions. We can feel worried, nervous,

uneasy, or we can feel extreme fear, panic or terror. Appropriate levels of anxiety are

actually a helpful survival mechanism. Anxiety is designed to alert us to a situation that

we need to respond to, if we do not respond there are usually negative consequences,

we could be in danger or under threat.

These situations might include feeling anxious about an exam or presentation at work,

for which we can respond to by preparing and practicing for. Anxiety also can be more

sudden and acute in some circumstances such as when we are about to cross the road

and we hear the beeping of a car before we step out. Our response is to jump out of

the way to safety.

These examples highlight how anxiety provides the driving force behind motivation

and keeps us safe from harmful situations. In this way anxiety is similar to physical

pain. Pain keeps us safe from harm by telling us to remove our hand from a hot ame.

Anxiety keeps us safe by ensuring we appropriately respond to dangerous, difcult or

threatening situations. If we did not experience physical pain or anxiety how safe would

we be?

The ght or ight response

The biological process that underpins anxiety is called ‘the ght or ight response’.

This response comes from the time our prehistoric ancestors when we relied heavily

on our ability to ght or run away to survive (when confronted with a dangerous animal

for example). In today’s world we rely on anxiety less for these reasons, there aren’t

many sabre tooth tigers wandering around Hemel Hempstead or St Albans, but the

response still remains.

The ght or ight response is triggered when we perceive danger and the body prepares

by releasing a chemical called adrenaline. See the table below for how adrenaline

affects us.

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Physical symptoms of anxiety Reasons why we experience this

Dizziness, breathlessness, tightness in

chest

Breathing gets quicker, so more oxygen

can reach muscles

Heart pounding, palpitations,

Heart beats faster, blood pressure up to

pump blood to the muscles

Visual disturbance Vision sharpens

Muscle tension, wobbly legs, shaky Muscles ready for action

Sweating more To maintain effective body temperature,

Tingling or numbness, pins and needles Calcium discharged

Feeling sick, dry mouth, butteries in

stomach, feelings of choking

Blood is diverted to major muscles

so digestive and saliva production is

reduced.

Unable to concentrate,

As mind focuses on threat – alert to

danger, lters out other non-threat

factors

Feeling like you need to go to the toilet

Sphincter muscles tighten – close the

opening of our bladder and bowels

What is anxiety?

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Activity

Take a look at the lists below for some symptoms of anxiety.

Thoughts Emotions

□

"Something awful is going to happen"

□

Anxious

□

"I will not be able to cope"

□

Scared

□

"What if I don’t do it right"

□

Nervous

□

"What will people think of me"

□

Irritable

□

"I need to escape"

□

Depressed

Physical symptoms Behaviours

□

Faster heart beat

□

Avoiding situations

□

Physical tension

□

Increased smoking or drinking

□

Dizziness

□

Arguing

□

Hot and sweaty

□

Talking or doing things faster

□

Tunnel vision

□

Under or over eating

How does anxiety affect you?

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Tool 1: Understanding Panic

What is panic?

Panic attacks are an extreme form of anxiety. It is not harmful but it is incredibly

unpleasant, usually as they are unexpected. Many people have been so terried by

having a panic attack that they call an ambulance as they have felt and feared that they

were ‘losing control’, ‘having a heart attack’, ‘going to suffocate’ or ‘going to die’. Panic

attack can be even more frightening if you have a long-term health condition such as

asthma or COPD.

We often recognise panic as a problem when we are having recurrent attacks and are

concerned about any further attacks. For others panic can seem to occur ‘out of the

blue’. We can also have night time panics which affect our sleep. We may also avoid

certain situations where we feel the panic attacks occur, such as busy places.

Physical symptoms include an accelerated, sometimes doubled, heart rate, shortness

of breath, sweating, and nausea. These symptoms usually peak within 5 to 10 minutes

(as our bodies cannot maintain these symptoms for very long). However this feels

prolonged, and it can be a repetitive cycle occurring many times during the day or

night. We are exhausted afterwards as our bodies recover.

We overestimate the physical symptoms of the anxiety we are experiencing in

that moment and feel that it can harm us and is extremely dangerous. We call this

catastrophic misinterpretation. The vicious cycle of panic can then spiral as we

focus on symptoms and our thoughts become more distressed, we feel as though we

cannot cope and our worse fears will happen.

See below for some common symptoms and fears when experiencing panic.

Physical symptoms of panic or

extreme anxiety

Possible catastrophic

misinterpretation or fear

Dizziness, breathlessness I’m going to faint

Heart pounding, palpitations, tightness

in chest

I’m having a heart attack

Visual disturbance

I’m losing it, I’m going blind, I have

brain tumour

Wobbly legs I’m going to faint

Tingling or numbness

I’m having a stroke or I have a brain

tumour.

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Feeling sick, dry mouth, butteries in

stomach

I’m going to be sick

Unable to concentrate I’m losing it

Feeling like you need to go to the toilet

I’m going to have an accident, lose

control of my bowels and bladder

Shortness of breath, trembling I’m going to suffocate, I can’t breathe

This type of anxiety can also cause us to become more hypervigilant, which can lead

to further misinterpretation of bodily symptoms and cause further anxiety, and panic.

The Vicious Cycle of Panic:

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We may also nd ourselves engaging in ‘safety seeking behaviours’. These are usually

short-term solutions which articially reduce anxiety and continue to maintain the

problem and can lead to continued avoidance.

These behaviours also mean that we do not give ourselves an opportunity to see we

would be able to cope without them.

Some safety seeking behaviours include: Carrying a water bottle, a paper bag,

medication, taking someone with you, having headphones on listening to music all the

time.

Some people have been told to carry a paper bag or when feeling anxious concentrate

on breathing, this is not helpful when learning to overcome panic.

How does panic affect you?

Thoughts Emotions

□

"Something awful is going to happen"

□

Anxious

□

"I will not be able to cope"

□

Scared

□

"What if I don’t do it right"

□

Nervous

□

"What will people think of me"

□

Irritable

□

"I need to escape"

□

Depressed

Physical symptoms Behaviours

□

Racing heart beat

□

Avoiding situations

□

Feeling sick and dizzy

□

Needing to escape

□

Short of breath

□

Carrying medicine, bottled water,

a paper bag, with us

□

Hot and sweaty

□

Not wanting to sleep

□

Urgently needing to the toilet

□

Drinking more alcohol

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Tool 1: Understanding Worry

What is Worry?

We all experience worry from time to time. This can sometimes be helpful for us as it

can help us to get a job done, for example, worrying about an interview can help us to

prepare for the interview (this is referred to as productive worry). However, sometimes

our worry can “take over” and stop us from getting things done (this is referred to as

unproductive worry). We may also notice that our worries “jump around” and so we

worry about lots of things, including minor concerns. This may mean that we rarely

solve our worries but keep moving onto our next worry. It is quite exhausting.

Worry can be unhelpful for us when we worry about things that are:

Uncertain – Nothing in life is certain. So if we search for something that is certain

we will have to keep searching or accept that we will not nd it.

An example of this can be when trying to be certain that we will be healthy. We

may continuously worry about our health and check our body to make sure we

are ok.

Unpredictable – We do not know what will happen in the future. Worrying about

this can stop us from enjoying the present.

An example of this can be worrying about our family’s safety.

Uncontrollable – We cannot always control the situation and the people around

us. Worrying about this can also stop us from experiencing the present.

An example of this can be worrying about how someone will react to you at

work/pub/home; this may stop you from doing a particular activity.

When our worry jumps around and when we are worrying about something that is

uncertain, unpredictable, and/ or uncontrollable we may then notice feelings of anxiety.

When this happens, it is common that we experience worry about worrying. When

we have been worrying for a long time, this may also lead us to feel less condent

and may reduce our self-esteem, affect our sleep and have an impact on our jobs,

relationships and health.

We also experience: tension headaches, irritability, fatigue, difculty concentrating,

muscle aches, and sleep problems. We can then start worrying about our health, the

health and wellbeing of our friends and family, this is then very tiring, affects our sleep

and makes us tearful and sad. This is the vicious cycle of worry.

Please continue to work through the workbook as we will build on the knowledge you

have learnt. By practicing some of the techniques in your own time as well as in session,

you will overcome the difculties that you are presently experiencing.

•

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Tool 2: The ABC

A Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

Based Approach

What is CBT?

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) can help people look at the different situations

that they nd themselves in, and to understand their thoughts, physical sensations and

behaviours. The idea is that our thoughts, physical symptoms and behaviour can all

inuence one another and therefore contribute in maintaining unhelpful moods such as

low mood and anxiety. Take a look at the diagram below.

Situation

CBT emphasises that it is not necessarily the situation that causes the emotional

distress that an individual experiences, but rather it is the individual’s interpretation

or view of that situation that leads to this. CBT works by learning how to challenge

negative thoughts and learning how to change unhelpful behaviours.

When feeling low or anxious, it is common to have Negative Automatic Thoughts

(NATs). These are unhelpful thoughts that pop into our minds without any effort.

With anxiety, NATs are often about overestimating threat and underestimating an

individual’s ability to cope, which can maintain anxiety. Sometimes people nd coping

mechanisms which help them deal with the situation. This may involve avoiding the

situation, or doing something differently to help control their anxiety. Although this

may lower their anxiety in the short term, it can actually maintain and reinforce it in

the long term. Breaking this vicious cycle may cause an increase in anxiety to begin

with but ultimately help reduce it.

Cognitions

(Thoughts)

Behaviours

(What we do)

Autonomic

(Physical Symptoms)

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The example below is of Lynda, who experiences anxiety when going to the shops.

She notices her heart pounding, breathing difculties and feeling hot. She thinks “I’m

having a heart attack,” which further contributes to her physical symptoms. As a result,

she is now avoiding going to the shops, or escaping from them as quickly as she can.

This can cause Lynda to feel even more anxious when next faced with this situation

and will also strengthen her unhelpful thoughts. Her thoughts, physical symptoms and

behaviours are all inuenced by each other.

Lynda’s ABC

Situation: Going to the shops

Cognitions

“I’m having a heart

attack”

Behaviours

Escapes from the Shops or

avoids going altogether

Autonomic

Heart pounding, difculty

breathing, hot and

pains in chest

With low mood, people tend to think about themselves, the world and the future in

a very negative way. For example, someone may think “I am useless” and “It is

pointless trying, as there is no point”. The lower a person feels, the more NATs they

will have. Naturally, the more NATs, the lower a person will feel. This forms a vicious

circle that needs to be broken.

Look at the example below of Mike. Mike has been having problems at work and over

the last few months has been feeling very low. As a result, Mike has been withdrawn

and not spending as much time with others, especially his family. He recently received

a phone call from his mum, who Mike thought was not being sympathetic. This left

Mike thinking ‘No-one cares about me’. Again, notice how his thoughts, behaviours

and physical sensations are all inuenced by each other.

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Mike’s ABC

Situation: Received a call from mum

Cognitions

“No one’s bothered

about me”

Behaviours

Withdrawn – Not spending

time with family or others

Autonomic

Always tired

Irritable

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Can you think of particular situations where you have felt anxious or low? What was the situation? What were you thinking?

What did you notice in your body? How did you behave in the situation? Can you ll in your own vicious circle?

My ABC

Situation

Where? When? Who with? What?

.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Autonomic

Cognitions Behaviours

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Tool 3: Setting a Goal

In order for any self-help to be effective, it is important to set some SMART goals. They

are important as they help us monitor our progress which helps further motivate and

energize. They are also a reminder of what you are working towards which means you

are more likely to stay on track.

Specific

Measurable

Achievable

Relevant

Time Limited

Self-Help is like a Road Map

Imagine you’re planning a journey and you are looking for directions.

Is it possible to get directions to a destination that you do not know

yet?

In the same way if you do not have any goals, how do we know what

techniques to use to help you reach your goals?

Self-help goals can be either short term, medium term or long term. Long term goals

may take years to achieve whereas short term goals may be achievable in a matter of

weeks. When thinking of self-help goals, it may be a good idea to start breaking down

the steps in order to create some short or medium term goals.

Once you have created your goals, you start your journey towards recovery. It can be

useful getting help deciding on the destination and which route you are taking. Once

the journey has started, it’s up to you to practice working through the new techniques

learnt to reach your destination.

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Let’s look at some examples of SMART goals:

Let’s look at some examples of goals which are NOT SMART:

Whilst I am looking for a job, I would like to call 3 prospective employers

each week and ask them about any vacancies.

I would like to be able to do this within the next 3 weeks.

I would like to meet a friend for a drink 2 times a week and spend 30

minutes with them. I would like to achieve this within the next 3 months.

I would like to learn how to better control my worrying so that I do not

always jump to negative conclusions. Instead of worrying about things

all day, I would like to allocate 20 minutes a day to worry. Throughout

the day I will write down all my worries then refocus and worry about

them at the allocated time. I would like to achieve this by the end of the

month.

I would like to feel less anxious.

I would like to stop avoiding things.

I would like to do the things I used to do.

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Activity

Start by identify your goals and triggers.

Triggers refer to the situations that normally cause you any anxiety or low mood.

By identifying what you are unhappy with now (triggers) you can identify what

needs to change for you to feel better (Goals).

Triggers

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………….………………………………….………………………………….………...

Creating Goals

What do you hope to gain or achieve?

What will be different for you?

What can you do to make those changes happen?

Take some time thinking about your individual goals and write these below. Remember

to make these goals as SMART as possible.

•

SMART Goals:

Specific Measurable Achievable Relevant Time Limited

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Goals

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………….………………………………….………………………………….………...

Common obstacles that people may face:

Worries about getting things ‘right’ may lead to people not attempting or

completing these tasks.

Feeling low or unmotivated may make it seem more difcult to do the work.

Feeling demoralised when improvement is not immediate can sometimes lead

to people dropping out of treatment without giving it enough of a chance.

Being very busy and not prioritising the content and techniques contained in

this book.

1.

2.

3.

4.

Overcoming Obstacles

What do you think could prevent you from being able to achieve these goals?

(Potential problems)

What could you do to ensure that these obstacles do not prevent you from regularly

achieving your goals?

(Solutions)

By identifying potential problems and ways to overcome them it can be easier to deal

with if they occur.

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Potential problem Solutions

I only know how I would like to feel

different

Think about what you might do

differently if you felt like that

It’s too soon to do that Break it down into smaller steps

There is too much that needs to change Pick one thing, focus on that rst

I still can’t set a SMART goal

Get help from a friend, family member

or your case manager

Review

Taking time to review goals at regular periods can help determine how helpful they are

and if they are producing results.

Things to consider:

Are you managing to meet your goals?

Do the goals need to be adjusted if they aren’t regularly completed?

Are your goals helping in the ways you thought they would?

Are there other potential problems and solutions you need to consider?

Have your problems or triggers changed?

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

•

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For example:

Remember that there is not one ‘correct’ way to complete tasks.

Remind yourself that improvement can be gradual, which is normal and

to be expected.

Prioritise time to practice the techniques and complete tasks so that you

can get as much benet as possible.

Discuss any concerns with a qualied professional if you are receiving

help and support from one.

1.

2.

3.

4.

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Tool 4: Lifestyle Changes

Healthy Eating

Everyone should aim to have a healthy and balanced diet. There are many advantages

to healthy eating, including a reduced risk of obesity, heart disease and diabetes.

Many of us consume more calories than we need to. If we are consuming more calories

than we burn we are likely to put on weight. The amount of calories we need to consume

depends on how active we are.

The average adult male needs around 2,500 calories per day and the average adult

female needs around 2,000 per day.

In order to have a balanced diet it’s important to eat a wide variety of foods so that you

are receiving all the nutrients you need. Check out below, some tips which can help

you achieve a healthy, balanced diet.

Don’t skip Breakfast

It is often stated that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and it’s

understandable why! Eating breakfast can help with weight control and is an important

part of a balanced diet. Wholemeal cereal is often recommended (with sliced fruit) as

a nutritious start to the day.

Five portions of Fruit and Vegetables

At least ve portions of fruit and vegetables are recommended each day. Things such

as unsweetened fruit juice and vegetables cooked into meals also count. Consider

having fruit in the morning with your breakfast or some fruit for a healthier snack option.

Eat more sh

Try to have two portions of sh (such as cod, haddock or tinned tuna) a week. Fish

contains proteins, vitamins and minerals which are helpful in maintaining a healthy

diet. Oily sh (such as salmon, mackerel, sardines and fresh tuna) have omega-3 fats

can help to prevent heart disease, so try to include this at least once a week.

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Include starchy foods

Foods such as potatoes, pasta, bread, rice and cereals should make up around on

third of your diet. Try to incorporate this into your main meal if you can. Also try to

choose wholegrain options when available, as these contain bre which can help you

to feel full for longer.

Reduce fat and sugar intake

Try not to eat foods that are too high in saturated fats. These types of fats can increase

the risk of heart disease. Where possible use vegetable oil or reduced-fat spread rather

than butter or lard. Also try to have lean cuts of meat, and cut off any visible fat where

possible.

Where possible, instead of saturated fats, eat food such as oily sh and avocados

which contain unsaturated fats.

Try to reduce sugar intake. Watch out for drinks which are high in sugar (including

alcoholic drinks) as these can often be contributing to weight gain.

Whilst there are naturally found sugars in foods such as fruit and milk, it’s helpful to

limit foods such as cakes, pastries, zzy drinks and biscuits which have added sugars.

Check packaging to make sure that you limit these types of foods as much as possible.

Reduce salt intake

Too much salt can raise blood pressure, so make sure that you don’t add too much

salt to your food. Make sure to check food labels, as salt is already in a lot of food

we regularly consume. Some foods such as bacon, cheese and salty sh are more

obviously high in salt. However many are not as aware that foods such as breakfast

cereals, condiments, soup and bread that contain varying levels of salt also.

When checking labels if there is more than 1.5g of salt per 100g, this means it is high

in salt. Try not to have over 6g of salt each day.

Be active

Regular physical activity can be helpful in trying to lose, or maintain healthy weight.

You can achieve regular activity through regular exercise, or utilising other ways

of incorporating regular activity. This includes making sure that if you nd yourself

sedentary for long periods of the day, try making sure you are active when possible.

This could be using the stairs instead of taking the lift, or parking your car further away

than usual and walking to your destination.

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Around 30 minutes of exercise ve days a week is often recommended, so get this in

when you can. You can ready further information on being active and exercising later

on in the workbook.

Make sure to drink plenty of uids

Try to drink around 1.2 litres of water, milk or fruit juice each day. Where possible, avoid

zzy drinks that are high in sugar. Make sure to increase uid intake during warmer

periods of weather or when undertaking physical exercise.

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Tool 4: Lifestyle Changes

Exercise

Increasing physical activity has a number of health benets. Not only can it help to lose,

or maintain a healthy weight, but it can also help to reduce the risk of heart disease,

stroke and type-2 diabetes.

Being healthy and increasing our health levels can be achieved by introducing

or increasing levels of physical activity and muscle-strengthening activity.

The Department of health recommends 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) of

moderate-intensity activity each week, or alternatively, 75 minutes of vigorously

intensity activity.

Examples of Moderate-intensity activities include:

Fast walking Hiking

Cycling Skateboarding

Volleyball Basketball

These types of activities will increase your heart rate, breathing and make you feel

hotter. The 150 minutes can be broken up into 30 minutes of activity 5 days a week.

Examples of vigorous-intensity activities include:

Jogging or running Swimming fast

Sports such as football, tennis or rugby Football

Fast cycling (or cycling around hills) Tennis

Aerobics and gymnastics Martial arts

These types of vigorous activity will leave you breathing hard and fast. Your heart rate

will have increased and you may nd it difcult to say more than a few words without

catching your breath.

Examples of muscle-strengthening activities:

Lifting weights Push-ups and sit-ups

Yoga Heavy gardening

Muscle-strengthening activities are in repetitions and sets. One push-up counts as a

repetition and 8-12 of these are recommended to complete a set. Try to do 2-3 sets if

possible. Muscle-strengthening activities are most benecial if completed to the point

where you struggle to complete another repetition.

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Tool 4: Lifestyle Changes

Getting a Better Night Sleep

Here are some tips for how you can improve your sleep

Don’t go to bed unless you are sleepy. Read a book, listen to soft music or browse

through a magazine. Find something relaxing, but not stimulating.

Watching TV or using electronic devices (tablets, computers or mobile phones) is

best avoided at bed time. Not only can the light they emit delay the onset of sleep,

but it can also be too stimulating.

If you’re not asleep after 15 minutes then get out of bed. Find something else to do

which will make you feel more relaxed. Once you feel sleepy again, go back to bed.

Begin a routine that helps you relax each night before bed. This could be a warm

bath, getting into your pyjamas or reading away from your bedroom.

Go to bed and get up at the same time. This helps the body to recognise a routine

for sleep. Do this on weekends and holidays.

Avoid taking naps. If you must take a nap, try to limit this (less than half an hour).

Otherwise this reduces our need for sleep when it comes to our evening routine.

Keep a regular schedule. Regular times for meals, medications, chores and other

activities help to keep the inner body clock running smoothly.

Only use your bedroom for sleep and sex. Don’t read, write, eat, watch TV, or use

any electronic devices in bed.

Try to limit caffeine as much as possible and at least 4 hours before bedtime (this

includes tea, coffee and even chocolate).

Do not have a cigarette or any other source of nicotine before bed as this is a

stimulant.

Do not use alcohol to help with sleep problems. A common myth is that alcohol

helps you to sleep, but in fact it actually has a detrimental impact. Whilst it might

help us get to sleep initially, it often disrupts sleep later in the night.

Don’t go to bed hungry, but don’t eat a big meal near bedtime either

Sleeping pills are a short-term solution only. They’re not usually prescribed for

long-term use due to side effects. If you are considering stopping the use of sleep

medication, consult your GP rst.

•

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Have a pen and paper or worry diary next to the bed. You can then write down

anything making you feel anxious, so it can be dealt with the next day.

Make sure your bedroom is dark, quiet, cool and that your mattress is comfy.

Avoid having clocks on display

•

“Get up if you can’t sleep”

If you are in bed for 15 minutes and can’t get to sleep, then get up and

do something quiet in a different room. Choose an activity that’s not too

stimulating and also make sure the lights are low.

During this time avoid any activities which might be too stimulating. Try not

to use any electronic devices such as smartphones, tablets, computers or

TV.

Do this until you feel sleepy, then go back to bed.

Repeat this cycle until you fall asleep in bed. This helps us to associate our

bed with sleep.

•

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Tool 5 - Increasing Activity Levels for

Low Mood

Behavioural Activation

Low mood can affect people in different ways. It leads us to think more negatively, can

affect us physically and even reduce our typical behaviours.

When we’re feeling low or depressed, any type of activity seems more difcult to do,

so it’s common for people to become less active and stop doing some of the things

they would normally do. We may nd ourselves stop going out with friends, withdraw

from family, put off housework and reduce engagement at work. Even activities that we

usually enjoy can become a chore and these pleasurable activities are often the rst

we stop doing. Tasks that are important, or more difcult to accomplish like applying for

a job, can become even harder to accomplish.

By putting off these activities we get relief from not having to do them, and this relief

negatively reinforces this unhelpful behaviour, as it encourages us to continue avoiding

and reducing activities, maintaining our low mood.

Avoiding these types of activities may seem helpful in the short-term, as we experience

relief from not having to complete them. However, this avoidance means we may miss

out on the positive experiences that may have occurred from doing the activity, such as

seeing our friends, doing something we enjoy, getting something important completed

or spending time with loved ones. This can also have a secondary impact on other

areas of our life, such as increased work absences, reduced productivity, or not getting

something important completed on time.

By not doing the activities that may have bought us pleasure or a sense of achievement,

we miss out on possible positive reinforcement of these activities, leading to further

reduction in helpful activities.

Therefore, what is maintaining low mood is a circle of reduced activity. The technique of

Behavioural Activation focuses on increasing the reinforcement of helpful behaviours

and reducing the effects of unhelpful behaviours. Behavioural Activation aims to break

this vicious circle by slowly integrating structured activities that will encourage us to

continue to incorporate helpful behaviours in the future. It works by scheduling different

types of activities and making sure that we follow the plan and not our mood so that

we complete the activities, thus breaking the circle which can maintain low mood. Let’s

look at these types of activities:

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Routine Activities: These are regular types of activities we do often or every day, such

as, waking up, general hygiene, cleaning the house, cooking etc.

Pleasurable Activities: These are the types of activities which we get enjoyment from,

including hobbies, spending time with friends or family, going for walks, playing sport,

going to the cinema etc.

Necessary Activities: These are the types of activities that are often time limited,

and if are not carried out might lead to adverse consequences, such as paying bills,

completing an important form, arranging car insurance etc.

There is some overlap between these routine, necessary and pleasurable activities.

Please try not to spend too much time trying to decide which category the task falls

under, as long as it is included. The aim is to create a balanced increase in activities.

5 steps of Behavioural Activation

Create a list of Routine, Necessary and Pleasurable activities – things you would

like to be doing, things you may have stopped doing since you felt low

Create a hierarchy of the list you just made in step one – slot each activity in either

easy, medium, or difcult in the hierarchy. Make sure you include each type of

activity – routine, necessary and pleasurable

Schedule the activities using a blank activity diary – put in a mixture of activities.

Start with the easiest activities rst. Small and regular activities can be best to start

with and then you can build in other activities over time. Use SMART goals to make

your activities detailed, for instance, to go for a ten minute walk with the dog every

morning around 10 a.m.

Do them! - do the activity. Remember, follow the plan and not the mood.

Review the week – review what activities you managed to include during the week.

How did completing these activities impact your mood? What other activities could

you schedule in for the next week? If it was difcult to complete some activities,

think about why this was the case; were they too difcult? What could you do next

time? Break them down? Could you get a friend or partner to help you?

Remember

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

REVIEW DO

PLAN

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List Activities

Now have a go at lling in the following forms to start to work through the 5 steps of

Behavioural Activation.

Remember that it may be quite difcult at rst to increase your activity levels and

there’s no such thing as failure. Every ‘failed’ task is actually an opportunity to learn

from mistakes in order to improve the next time.

Step 1 - Activities List

Routine

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…

Pleasurable

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Necessary

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

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Step 2 - Activities Hierarchy

► .....................................................................

Use a mixture of routine, necessary and pleasurable activities.

Hard

Medium

Easy

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Step 3

Activity Diary for week commencing: ___________________

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

Morning

What

Where

When

Who

What

Where

When

Who

Afternoon

What

Where

When

Who

What

Where

When

Who

Evening

What

Where

When

Who

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Step 4 – Complete the Activities. Make sure to follow the plan and not the mood! Do

the activities you have scheduled even if you don’t feel like doing them.

Step 5 – Review the Week

Write down what activities you completed and what you learnt

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Ask yourself the following questions:

What impact did increased activity have on your mood?

Were any activities more helpful in making you feel better?

What will you include in next week’s activity schedule? (You may want to add some

new more difcult activities, or you may want to increase some of the existing activities)

Final Behavioural Activation Notes

Do not wait until you feel like completing an activity. When we’re feeling low it may take

quite some time before we feel encouraged to do an activity, especially one which is

quite burdensome. As a result, the behavioural activation technique encourages us to

do the activity even if we do not feel like doing it.

It may take some time for the effects of the behavioural activation technique to become

apparent. This can be difcult, as the effects of relief received from reduced activity are

more immediate. However, bear in mind the increase of unhelpful behaviours can have

a secondary impact on our lives which can reduce our mood further.

With continued use of the behavioural activation technique, you should see an

improvement in your mood. Make sure to plan, do and review your activities and

continue to use the technique for as long as you need.

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How will behavioural activation help me?

Planning and sticking to activities will increase my motivation to do more and break the

vicious cycle of depression.

Barriers or blocks and possible solutions

Barriers or Blocks Solutions

I don’t feel motivated Go with the plan not the mood

I didn’t enjoy it

Keep going, the enjoyment will come

back

Everything seems to difcult Start small and build up

I just can’t do it Use support

I didn’t do something I’d planned Re-schedule, don’t be hard on yourself

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Tool 6: Facing Your Fears

Graded Exposure

It makes sense for us to avoid the situations we fear as our anxiety quickly reduces.

Whilst this may be helpful in the short-term, by avoiding situations that we are anxious

about the level of anxiety will remain or increase around that situation. As we continue

avoiding these types of situations, it makes it even harder for us to face these situations

in the long-term.

There are two elements involved in anxiety; we overestimate the threat (for instance

going on a rollercoaster, feeling dizzy and you think, ‘I will faint.)’ The other component

to anxiety is that we underestimate our ability to cope with the threat (for example, ‘it

will be awful and I won’t be able to cope’).

Our bodies have over learnt to keep monitoring and scanning for potential treats or

triggers. These can be external, for example seeing a spider, and internal, noticing our

heart beating faster. Whenever the body recognises a threat the ght or ight response

is activated, and our body becomes physically prepared to respond to this threat.

As a result, we need to help the body learn that the stimulus is not such a threat, by

helping to cancel out when it’s not needed. The CBT technique we use is Graded

Exposure. We will teach our bodies to overcome our fear by becoming habituated to

the trigger or threat. For example when we get into a cold swimming pool on a hot day

our bodies eventually adjust and it feels warmer even though the water temperature is

the same. So we become habituated to the temperature of the pool if we stay in there

for long enough.

Graded Exposure

helps to break this

cycle of avoidance

in manageable

steps. By gradually,

repeatedly, over

time exposing

you to these

fearful situations

without avoiding

or escaping from

them, or staying in

the situation with

our safety seeking

behaviours.

Look at this graph

(right) which helps

to demonstrate this;

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The graph shows that by avoiding or escaping the situation, anxiety levels drop

considerably. However, the next time the individual is put in the same situation, anxiety

returns at the same level and will continue to do so if they continue to escape and avoid

the situation. However, we can see that through using Graded Exposure, the anxiety

will eventually reduce.

There are a few rules that come with the Graded Exposure technique.

Exposure: The Four Rules

For Graded Exposure to be effective it needs to be graded, prolonged, repeated and

done without distraction.

Graded

Overcoming a fear is best achieved by gradually confronting the fear. The steps must

go from the least anxiety provoking to the most. You need to gradually confront the

feared stimuli. This might be starting with situations that may create less fear than

others, or objects which would create less anxiety. It may include starting off by

imagining a scenario, looking at a photograph or watching videos rather than going

into the situation at the early stages.

Prolonged

In order for Exposure to be effective, it must be prolonged. This means that each time

we allow ourselves the time needed in order to experience the anxiety levels reducing

naturally. This means staying in the situation for as long as it takes for the anxiety to

reduce by at least half. For example, if someone stated that their levels of anxiety at

the start of the exercise were 60% then they would need to stay in the situation until

the anxiety reduced to at least 30%.

Repeated

In order to maintain progress, further exposure is needed. An exposure task should be

repeated around four to ve times a week if possible for maximum benet. Each step

will need to be repeated before moving on to the next step on the hierarchy.

Without distraction

When doing exposure it is important that people can experience some anxiety to see

that it will reduce naturally. Therefore, it is important that people do not do other things,

or distract themselves with safety behaviors. This is also so your body learns it can

cope without them.

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How will graded exposure help me?

To gradually face situations that you are currently avoiding due to feelings of anxiety

or fear.

Barriers or blocks and possible solutions

Barriers or Blocks Solutions

I’m too anxious Make your step easier

I couldn’t stay in the situation

Make the step easier or use support for

the rst time

I didn’t feel anxious at all

Is the step too easy? Are you using

distraction techniques?

I’m too busy Is this the right time

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Here is an example with Lynda.

Lynda’s Exposure

Ladder

Most Feared

Least Feared

6.

5.

4.

3.

2.

1.

Go to a large busy

supermarket (100%)

Go to a large quiet supermarket

(85%)

Go to a small busy shop (75%)

Go to the local corner shop alone

(65%)

Go to the local corner shop with a

friend (55%)

Imagine going shopping on my own

(40%)

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If you are nding that you have a phobia of an object or activity or are

avoiding something, then complete your own anxiety ladder:

Most Feared

Least Feared

6.

5.

4.

3.

2.

1.

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Steps for Exposure

Make a list of the objects or situations which cause you anxiety.

Rank this list in order of difculty from the least anxiety provoking

to the most

Use this list to create your graded ladder for exposure.

Use your exposure diary to record your progress.

Start with the rst step, and make sure that it’s not too difcult.

Each time you face a situation you will need to stay in it until your anxiety levels have

reduced by at least half of what they were originally.

You will repeat each step at least four or ve times in the same week if possible. Once

you are able to better cope in each of these situations, or your anxiety before the

exercise has reduced, you can move on to the next step on your anxiety ladder.

Remember expose without using distraction, relaxation or breathing exercises so you

can feel the anxiety peak and reduce. We call these ‘safety behaviours’.

When completing any exposure tasks, it may be helpful to keep an anxiety diary. This

can allow you to rate your levels of anxiety before, during and after your exposure

exercise. You can also make notes or write down any of your thoughts at the time.

Please use the blank anxiety diary on the next page.

Step 1:

Step 2:

Step 3:

Step 4:

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Anxiety Diary

Anxiety Rating 0 - 100%

Date and

Time

Duration

to be recorded

after the exercise

Exercise Before

Exercise

Start of

Exercise

End of

Exercise

Thoughts or Comments

0% 50% 100%

No anxiety Moderate anxiety Severe anxiety

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Tool 7: Containing Worry

Although a certain amount of worrying is normal, sometimes it can feel like our worry

is becoming unmanageable. Containing Worry is about allowing yourself to worry as

much as you like, but only at a specic time of the day that you will choose yourself.

By following these steps you should notice an improvement in the amount of time you

spend worrying and feeling more in control of your worry.

The rst thing we need to look at with worry is uncertainty. It is often these types

of worries we need to contain. If we nd ourselves focusing on worries where the

outcome is uncertain, we will soon nd ourselves feeling overwhelmed, that things are

out of control and this can have an impact on our lives. These worries can usually start

with “what if…?”

On the other hand, some of the things we might nd ourselves worrying about are the

types of things we could deal with in the ‘here and now’. These are the types of things

we should try to deal with there and then.

As a result, when looking at worries, we’re looking at either hypothetical worries, which

are based on uncertainty, or practical worries which we can deal with in the here and

now.

So when you have a worry, write it down and ask yourself the following;

So, we’ve written the worry down, but what do we do now? Well follow these simple

steps to try to contain your worry.

Yes

Do it!

No

Write it down and

contain it – Then

worry about it

later!

Can I deal

with this worry

now?

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Step One: Make an appointment to contain your worry

Plan a short time for yourself to worry in (i.e. 8pm) and for how long for (i.e. 20 minutes).

This time will vary, and perhaps be longer at the beginning, reducing the more you

practice the technique.

During this time you will not do anything else aside from worrying!

Don’t do this just before bed, or in the bedroom. Try and nd a place where you can

worry and where you will not be disturbed.

Try not to be distracted, make sure others are aware not to disturb you.

Step Two: Write down your worries

When worrying outside your planned worry appointment, write down your hypothetical

worries in a worry diary.

If it’s a practical worry, you can deal with it there and then, or plan a suitable time to

deal with this

Until you get used to identifying the difference between a hypothetical and a practical

worry, use this worry diary to distinguish the two.

When a worry occurs write these worries down knowing you can worry about it as

much as you want during the scheduled worry appointment.

Step Three: Refocusing on the Present

Once you have written down your worry, refocus on the present moment. Focus on

what is going on around you and tune your attention onto it. It is harder to worry when

you are really focused in the moment. Perhaps consider your ve senses and focus

on those.

It may be focusing on the smell of the cooking, taste of the food you’re eating, the

sound of the rain, the touch of a steering wheel and sight of a car in front of you.

This is not about distracting ourselves; it’s about bringing us back into the present

moment.

If the same worry comes back, or new ones enter your mind, write them all down

knowing that you can worry about them as much as you want during your worry

appointment. Writing down the activity that you are going to focus on using the worry

diary also helps you to ensure you refocus.

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Repeat this process for any other worries that occur. If you nd yourself slipping, make

sure to remind yourself you will worry about these later on at the time you’ve designated

and get back to focusing on your current activity.

Regular practice of worry time really helps you to manage your worries during the day.

Step Four: Scheduled appointment – Now Worry!

During the appointment you have allotted yourself, you can worry as much as you like

about the worries you’ve written down.

Choose one you would like to start with and work from there.

You may nd that these worries are no longer as strong as they initially seemed.

The urgency of the worries may have reduced.

We often nd the worries are not as important or applicable as when they rst occurred.

You can spend time reecting on worries that are no longer an issue but this is not

compulsory.

You may nd that you can happily reduce your worry time as you become more

practiced at the technique

Make sure you only worry about the worries you have wrote down that day in the worry

diary. Any new worries will need to be written down and included in the next day’s

worry appointment.

At the end of your appointment, you stop your worry. Some people like to throw away

their worry list for that day, each day starting with a fresh worry diary.

This technique takes practice and repetition. The more we practice this, the more our

worries will reduce and this will help us to manage our worry better.

Continued practice of this technique may help you to nd that you worry less outside

of your designated worry appointment and feeling more able to manage your worries.

If so, great!

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How will containing worry help me?

To waste less time worrying about things you have no control over.

Barriers or blocks and possible solutions

Barriers or Blocks Solutions

I don’t know if it’s a hypothetical or

practical worry

Use the chart. Really consider if there is

anything you can do about it right now

I can’t refocus

It takes time, keep practicing. Use your

senses

I’m worrying what if I worry.

Use the technique, this is a hypothetical

worry.

I can’t stop worrying at the end of worry

time

Plan in an activity after worry time so

you have something to refocus on.

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Worry Diary

Date and

Time

Situation

Your Worry

(e.g. ‘What if’)

How anxious do you

feel on a 0-10 scale?

Classify Your Worry (either

Hypothetical or Practical)

Hypothetical Practical

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Tool 8: Problem Solving

Although people who experience low mood or anxiety may worry about lots of things

in general, sometimes what they are worrying about is a current, realistic worry and

there may actually be a need to deal with this problem in a practical way. A problem

solving approach can be used to help identify the problem and then try to nd a way

to manage it.

The following 7 steps can be used to solve a current problem:

1. Identify the problem

2. Identify all possible solutions

3. Evaluate pros and cons

4. Select a solution

5. Plan

6. Do (put the plan into action)

7. Review

Top Tip

It is essential to write down your

problem solving rather than just

doing it in your head!

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Problem Solving in Action

Imran was offered a job interview for next Thursday at 4pm but he was due to

pick up his son from nursery at the same time. He started worrying about this

and became anxious. He decided to try and use a problem solving approach to

help with his situation.

Identify the problem – I have to be in two different places at the same time. I

need to pick up my son and also attend a job interview.

Identify all possible solutions –

I could ask my wife to pick up our son

I could ask if any of my friends are free

I could call the employer and ask if the interview time could be changed

Evaluate pros and cons –

I could ask my wife to pick up our son – My wife might get angry, but she

might be free and available.

I could ask if any of my friends are free – More chance of someone being

free, but they might feel compelled to say yes.

I could call the employer and ask if the interview time could be changed –

It might be possible to change the interview time but I don’t think it looks

good to the prospective employer

Select a solution – After thinking about the pros and cons, Imran ranked his

solutions in the following order:

I could ask my wife to pick up our son

I could ask if any of my friends are free

I could call the employer and ask if the interview time could be changed

Plan – I can ask her when she comes home from work, after she has had

something to eat.

Do (put the plan into action) – Imran asked his wife if she could pick up their

son next week.

Review – Unfortunately Imran’s wife was not free to pick their son next week.

She said that she may have been able to if she had been given more notice.

Imran learnt that he may have to give people more notice in future. He decided

to go to his next solution and called a few friends to see if they were free. One

of them was and agreed to pick up his son. Imran attended the job interview

but unfortunately did not get the job. However using this tool he feels he can

cope if this situation arises again.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

•

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Activity

If you have a problem you would like to work through, try and complete the following

worksheet to help you simplify and manage it:

Problem Solving Worksheet

Identify the problem

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…

Identify all possible solutions (use additional sheets if necessary)

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Evaluate pros and cons (use additional sheets if necessary)

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

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Select a solution

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…

Plan (write down the steps you will take to apply your chosen solution – use

additional sheets if necessary)

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Do (put the plan into action) – make a note of when you did it, note the date, time

and place

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Review (write down how the plan went)

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

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Tool 9: Cognitive Restructuring

Thought Challenging

Learning how to manage negative thoughts can help to manage your anxiety and low

mood. When people are feeling low or anxious, their thoughts can often be extreme

or unrealistic. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) calls these types of thoughts

Negative Automatic Thoughts or ‘NATs’.

These NATs are the types of thoughts that would upset anyone. Although some people

understand that their negative thoughts may not be true, it can be very difcult for

people with anxiety or low mood to do this and they often take their negative thoughts

as fact. Therefore, this type of unhelpful thinking can continue to maintain our low

mood or anxiety.

How can challenging thoughts help me?

The idea of this technique is not to just look at the positive side of things but to look at

thoughts in a more balanced and realistic way.

More balanced thoughts will improve your mood and enable you to function better,

which will result in enjoying your life again.

Initially you will need to write things down and follow the steps but through practice you

can use this technique at the time of a difcult experience and hopefully improve your

mood in the moment.

How this technique works

Our thoughts are often based on our personal opinion and experiences and not

necessarily grounded in fact. There is also a negative bias to our thoughts when we

are low or anxious. This can lead to us jumping to conclusions or thinking the worst

about situations without any evidence for these thoughts being true.

When challenging negative thoughts, we need to practice collecting evidence to see

how accurate the thoughts really are. Factual evidence is much stronger then opinion

as there isn’t any element of doubt.

The idea is that we work with the thought which causes the most emotional distress,

and identify to see how much truth there is to this thought. We then create a new

alternative thought which is based on the evidence.

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What is the difference between a thought and an emotion?

Thoughts are usually a sentence or statement, about something or someone. An

emotion is one word which describes how we feel.

Examples of thoughts include:

“Nobody likes me” “Everything always goes wrong for me”

“If I am late for work, I will lose my job” “They think I’m stupid”

Examples of emotions include: angry, happy, anxious, depressed, etc.

Catching Thoughts

Looking for the Evidence

Finding an Evidence Based/Alternative Thought

Step 1:

Step 2:

Step 3:

There are 3 Steps in Cognitive Restructuring:

Step One: Catching Thoughts

Start by identifying a situation that has caused you to experience a strong negative

emotion.

First write details about that situation. It might not be the situation that caused the

negative thoughts or emotions but by writing down details it will help you remember

better what was going on.

Then write down all the different emotions and thoughts you were experiencing.

For the each emotions rate how strongly you felt it, 0 (barely felt it) to 100% (very

strongly experienced it). For each thought rate how much you believe it, 0 (don’t

believe it at all) to 100% (very strongly believe it).

Next try and identify the “hot thought” in the situation. This thought is often rated

the highest and most likely to be the cause of the negative emotion. It will have a

rating of 60% or higher and match the negative emotion.

•

Catching negative thoughts can be difcult as it is often something that we are

not used to doing. For that reason, you might need to practice this rst stage a

few times.

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In order to help you catch your thoughts, ask yourself the following sorts of

questions:

What were you doing? What were you telling yourself?

Who were you with? What does it say about you if it’s true?

Where were you? What is the worst thing that went through your mind?

Some points to bear in mind when you are trying to catch your NATs:

They are short and specic

They occur extremely quickly after the event

They can occur as words or images

They seem reasonable at the time

They do not arise from careful thought or in a logical series of steps

Step Two: Looking for the Evidence

After catching your NATs, the next stage is to challenge the ‘Hot Thought’.

Write down the evidence for and against the hot thought

You are looking just for facts not opinions.

Think of this a little like being a prosecution and defence counsel in a court hearing.

Evidence will be given from both sides to nd the truth.

To help you when you are looking for evidence, you might want to ask questions such

as:

If my friend or someone else was having this type of thought, what would I say to

them?

If I wasn’t anxious or low, how would I look at the situation?

Is there any other way of looking at the situation?

What is certain about this situation?

If I believe this thought to be 80% true, what is the 20% that suggests I don’t believe

the thought to be completely true?

Are there any similar previous experiences, which I can learn from?

•

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Court Case Drama

Imagine you are a judge in a court case. The defendant is on trial for shop

lifting. He seems very convincing stating his innocence that “I didn’t do it”. The

prosecution has CCTV footage of the defendant stealing an item of clothing from

the shop.

What evidence do you think the judge will use to make their decision, and what

do you think the outcome will be?

Thought challenging is also like being the judge in your own court case. The

defendant is your negative automatic thought, for example “everyone hates

me”. When presenting the evidence that supports this, how reliable and robust

is it? “Everyone hates me, I just know it” is that good, strong enough evidence?

Consider all the evidence and create your own verdict by using an evidence

based alternative thought.

Step Three: Finding an Evidence Based/Alternative Thought

Finally you need to create a new alternative thought, based on the evidence created

at Stage 2.

This is not about creating a positive thought, rather it is about creating a more balanced

thought which takes into consider both sides of the evidence.

To create an evidence based thought write a sentence to summarise the “evidence

for” and another sentence to summarise the “evidence against” the hot thought.

You can use words such as ‘or’, ‘and’ or ‘but’ to link the evidence together to create

the revised (balanced) thought.

i.e. - I failed this one job interview but I have got several jobs in the past

I have gone for.

•

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Rate belief in the new revised (balanced) thought

Re-rate the original emotions in light of revised (balanced) thought

•

The aim of this technique is to reduce the strength of the negative emotion. The

more you practice it the more automatic it becomes and you should be able to

use it in the moment.

Summary of the technique

Step One:

Identify a specic situation when you felt a certain negative emotional state (e.g.

anxiety, depression).

Label the emotion (e.g. depressed, anxious, low, sad).

Rate the intensity of the emotion – 0-100%.

Identify the NATs that were running through your mind at the time.

Rate your belief in the thoughts (when you were in the situation) 0-100%.

Identify your ‘hot thought’. The only thought we will challenge - the one which causes

the most emotional distress for you, normally with a belief rating of 60% or more.

Step Two:

Identify evidence (facts) for the ‘hot’ thought.

Identify evidence (facts) against the ‘hot’ thought.

Stage Three:

Once the evidence for and against has been collected, reconsider your thought in light

of the evidence.

Use the facts gathered in stage 3 and combine them with ‘and’, ‘or’, ‘but’ to come up

with a more revised, balanced thought.

Rate belief in the new revised (balanced) thought.

Re-rate the emotion in light of revised (balanced) thought.

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How will thought challenging help me?

To recognise and put into perspective our negative automatic thoughts (NATs) in order

to modify our thinking and reduce the intensity of our emotions.

Barriers or blocks and possible solutions

Barriers or Blocks Solutions

I have too many negative thoughts Use thoughts from one specic situation

My hot thought isn’t that emotive Identify a ‘hotter’ thought

I can’t come up with a revised thought

Recognise enough evidence for and

against the hot thought

I don’t feel any different

Make sure your balanced thought is

believable

I’m too emotional to nd a revised

(balanced) thought

Write down your NATs as soon as

possible

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Example of cognitive restructuring steps in full

Situation Emotion

Automatic

thoughts (images)

Evidence

for

Evidence

against

Alternative

thought

Rate Emotion

again

Who with?

What doing?

Where?

What did you

feel? (one word)

How intense?

(0-100%)

What is going through

my mind?

What is the worst thing

that can happen?

What does it mean

about me if it is true?

Am I jumping to

any conclusions

that are not

justied by the

evidence?

(0-100%)

Lying in bed,

not wanting

to get up

and start the

day. I didn’t

get the job

I went to an

interview for

last week.

It was my

dream job

and I worked

hard prepar-

ing for days

before hand.

Low 100%

Angry 70%

I am no good. 60%

I should give up now

I’ll never nd a job I

enjoy. 65%

My family are disap-

pointed in me. My

friends think I am a

joke. 75%

There is no point ap-

plying for jobs as I

won’t get them. 90%

(hot thought)

I did not get

the job last

week.

They gave

me feedback

of things

I hadn’t

done well

They gave me

feedback that

pointed out ways

I had impressed

them.

I have got jobs in

the past I have re-

ally wanted.

I got chosen for

an interview in the

rst place

I failed this

one job

interview but

I have got

several jobs

in the past I

have gone

for.

75%

That means I

have to carry

on applying

for jobs and

use interview

feedback to

improve.

Low 50%

Angry 10%

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Situation Emotion

Automatic

thoughts (images)

Evidence

for

Evidence

against

Alternative

thought

Rate Emotion

again

Who with?

What doing?

Where?

What did you

feel? (one word)

How intense?

(0-100%)

What is going through

my mind?

What is the worst thing

that can happen?

What does it mean

about me if it is true?

Am I jumping to

any conclusions

that are not

justied by the

evidence?

(0-100%)

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Tool 10: Create your own Wellbeing

Blueprint

From time to time we may nd ourselves going back to our old habits. For any change

to be realistic, it takes time and effort to practice and develop our new skills. In order

to prevent future relapse, it is a good idea to create a plan which can help you identify

the situations which may cause difculties in future, as well as thinking about how we

can best manage these situations.

Please complete the following questions which will help create your own relapse

prevention plan:

My Wellbeing Blueprint

What have you found most helpful about the toolkit?

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

How will you continue to build on what you have learned?

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

What are your goals for one year’s time?

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

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How will you recognise your problems getting worse?

Situation:

How will you maintain your wellbeing if you notice the problems getting

worse?

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Autonomic (physical sensations)

Cognitions (thoughts) Behaviours

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What are the alternatives to these?

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

What can you do daily, weekly and monthly to help your wellbeing?

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Who can you contact for support?

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

What are your most unhelpful thoughts?

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Thank you. Please keep this blueprint somewhere easy to refer to.

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Next Steps

We hope you have found this booklet helpful. Hopefully you will have learned some

useful tools in order to help you manage the difculties you are experiencing. Don’t

forget that you will need to keep practicing these techniques in order to notice a

difference.

However, if after using this booklet independently and you feel that you need some

extra help in managing your mood, you can ask your GP to refer you to our service,

or you can even make a self-referral. The number for all our referrals is given below:

Please note that we are not a crisis service. If you need help urgently,

please contact your GP or NHS 111 or the Hertfordshire Mental Health

Helpline 01438 843322.

Single Point of Access (SPA) –

to self refer or be used by professionals:

Tel:

0300 777 0707

Online:

www.hpft.nhs.uk/wellbeing-service

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Anger:

Anxiety:

Health Anxiety:

Self-Esteem:

Depression:

OCD:

Phobias:

Pain:

Panic:

Social Anxiety:

PTSD: