Sometimes our minds are our own biggest critics.
One small mistake becomes:
“I can’t do anything right.”
One unanswered message becomes:
“They’re mad at me.”
One difficult day becomes:
“Everything is going wrong.”
I’ve been learning more about Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) strategies, and one thing that really stands out to me is the idea that we don’t have to automatically believe everything we think.
A thought is a thought.
It might contain some truth. It might be an assumption. It might be a fear. It might be your brain jumping straight to the worst-case scenario.
And sometimes, we need to investigate it a little further.
So here are some simple CBT-inspired strategies you can practice in everyday life.
🧠 1. Catch the Thought
Before you can challenge a thought, you have to notice it.
This sounds simple, but our automatic thoughts can happen incredibly quickly.
You might suddenly feel embarrassed, anxious, angry, frustrated, or discouraged without realizing what you just told yourself.
When you notice your emotions shifting, try asking:
“What was I just thinking?”
Maybe it was:
I’m going to fail.
They don’t like me.
I shouldn’t have said that.
Everyone is judging me.
I always mess things up.
Don’t immediately try to get rid of the thought.
Just notice it.
Sometimes awareness itself is a pretty big first step.
🔎 2. Ask: Is This a Fact or a Feeling?
This is one of my favorite questions.
Is this actually a fact?
Imagine someone doesn’t respond to your text.
Your mind says:
“They’re ignoring me.”
But what do you actually know?
You know they haven’t responded yet.
That’s the fact.
Everything else is your brain trying to explain why.
Maybe they’re busy.
Maybe they’re working.
Maybe they’re sleeping.
Maybe they forgot.
Maybe they don’t know what to say.
Instead of automatically accepting your first explanation, remind yourself:
“I don’t have enough information to know what this means yet.”
That one sentence can change the entire story.
🕵️ 3. Become a Detective
When a thought feels overwhelmingly true, investigate it.
Let’s say you’re thinking:
“I’m terrible at everything I do.”
Ask:
What evidence supports this thought?
Then—and this part matters—
What evidence challenges it?
Maybe you did make a mistake.
That’s evidence.
But maybe you’ve also accomplished things you’re proud of.
Maybe you’ve learned difficult skills.
Maybe someone has complimented your work.
Maybe you’ve made mistakes before and figured them out.
Suddenly:
“I’m terrible at everything.”
becomes:
“I made a mistake.”
Those are two very different statements.
💭 4. Try Catch, Check, Change
Here’s an easy way to remember the process:
CATCH IT
What am I thinking?
CHECK IT
Is it completely true?
What evidence do I have?
Am I assuming something?
Am I predicting the future?
Am I jumping straight to the worst possible outcome?
CHANGE IT
What’s a more balanced way of looking at this?
Not necessarily a positive thought.
A realistic thought.
Instead of:
❌ “I’m definitely going to fail.”
Try:
🌱 “I don’t know what’s going to happen yet.”
Instead of:
❌ “Everyone is judging me.”
Try:
🌱 “I can’t actually know what everyone else is thinking.”
Instead of:
❌ “I can’t do this.”
Try:
🌱 “I don’t know how to do this yet.”
That little word yet can be surprisingly powerful.
⚠️ 5. Learn Your Thinking Traps
Our brains love shortcuts.
Unfortunately, some of those shortcuts aren’t particularly helpful.
You may notice patterns such as:
Catastrophizing
“If this goes wrong, everything will be ruined.”
All-or-nothing thinking
“If I’m not great at it, I’m a failure.”
Mind reading
“I know they think I’m annoying.”
Overgeneralizing
“This always happens to me.”
Discounting the positive
“That accomplishment doesn’t count.”
You don’t have to memorize every cognitive distortion.
Simply start noticing when your brain uses words like:
always, never, everyone, nobody, ruined, impossible.
Then get curious.
Is that really true?
🪞 6. Talk to Yourself Like Someone You Love
Here’s another trick:
Imagine your best friend came to you and said:
“I made one mistake. I’m such a failure.”
Would you respond:
“Yep. You’re absolutely terrible.”
Probably not.
You might say:
“You made a mistake. You’re human. You’ll figure it out.”
Now ask yourself:
Why don’t I deserve that same patience?
Sometimes reframing isn’t about becoming more positive.
It’s about becoming less cruel to yourself.
📝 7. Write the Thought Down
Thoughts can feel enormous when they’re bouncing around inside our heads.
Putting them on paper—or in your phone—can help you slow everything down.
Try writing:
What happened?
What did I think?
What emotion did I feel?
What evidence supports my thought?
What evidence challenges it?
What is another possible explanation?
What would I tell a friend?
What’s a more balanced thought?
You may even start noticing that you have the same thinking patterns repeatedly.
That’s useful information.
Because once you recognize a pattern, you can start catching it earlier.
🌱 8. Stop Trying to Think Positively All the Time
This might sound strange in a blog about changing your thinking.
But hear me out.
You don’t need to turn every difficult thought into sunshine and rainbows.
If you’re having an awful day, telling yourself:
“THIS IS THE BEST DAY EVER!”
probably isn’t going to help.
Instead try:
“Today is really difficult, but today won’t last forever.”
Or:
“I don’t feel okay right now, so what do I need?”
Or even:
“This sucks.”
Sometimes that’s the truth.
Balanced thinking isn’t about pretending difficult things aren’t happening.
It’s about not adding an entire imaginary catastrophe on top of something that’s already difficult.
🧘 9. Pause Before You React
Not every thought requires an immediate response.
Before sending the text.
Before deleting the post.
Before assuming someone hates you.
Before deciding you’re giving up.
Pause.
Take a few slow breaths.
Walk away for five minutes.
Drink some water.
Write down what you’re thinking.
Then ask:
“Am I responding to what actually happened—or what I’m afraid happened?”
Sometimes giving yourself a little space changes your perspective.
🔁 10. Practice Again… and Again
You’re probably not going to challenge one negative thought and suddenly become a completely different thinker.
And that’s okay.
These are skills.
Skills require repetition.
You might catch yourself catastrophizing today.
Then do it again tomorrow.
And next week.
But maybe next time you recognize it a little faster.
Instead of spiraling for three hours, maybe it’s one hour.
Eventually maybe it’s ten minutes.
Progress doesn’t always mean never having the thought again.
Sometimes progress means recognizing what’s happening sooner.
🐱 Want to Practice With a Cozy Critter?
I’ve been taking what I’m learning about mental wellness, mindfulness, positive thinking, self-reflection, and CBT-inspired strategies and turning some of those ideas into something a little more… cozy.
Meet Cozy Critters Companion for iOS — coming soon! 🐾
Instead of mental wellness feeling like another assignment on your to-do list, Cozy Critters Companion uses adorable cat companions to help guide you through different self-reflection and wellness strategies.
You’ll find cozy cat-guided activities focused on things like:
🐱 Challenging your thoughts
💭 Reframing unhelpful thinking
🧠 Recognizing thought patterns
📝 Journaling and reflection
🌿 Mindfulness and grounding
❤️ Kinder self-talk
☀️ Positive reminders
🐾 Everyday self-care
My goal isn’t to create another app telling you:
“JUST THINK POSITIVE!”
Because sometimes that’s the last thing we need to hear.
Instead, I want it to feel more like a little cat sitting beside you saying:
“Okay… what happened?”
“What is your brain telling you?”
“Do we actually know that’s true?”
“What else could be true?”
And my personal favorite:
“Is that a fact… or is your brain telling you a story again?” 🐱💭
Sometimes we don’t need someone—or an app—to magically fix our thoughts.
Sometimes we just need a reminder to pause and question them.
🐾 One Thought at a Time
You don’t have to completely rewrite your mind overnight.
Start with one thought.
Catch it.
Check it.
Challenge it.
Try another perspective.
Then do it again the next time your brain decides one unanswered text means your entire life is falling apart.
Your mind will probably still throw some wild stories at you.
Mine does too.
The difference is learning that you don’t have to believe every single one.
And maybe that’s where change starts.
One thought at a time. 🧠🌱🐱
This article and Cozy Critters Companion are intended for education, wellness, and self-reflection. They do not provide therapy, diagnosis, or medical treatment and are not replacements for professional mental health care. CBT is a form of psychological treatment when provided by a qualified professional.
