How to use it
- Catch it. Write the thought down as it sounds in your head, and rate how much you believe it.
- Check it. Tap any thinking traps that fit. Then look at the evidence on both sides, and what you'd tell a friend.
- Change it. Write a fairer version, one you can actually believe, not forced cheerfulness. Then rate the first thought again.
Not every thought shifts, and that's OK. Looking at it is the practice.
Why it works
This is the NHS "catch it, check it, change it" idea from its self-help CBT techniques: notice an unhelpful thought, look at what evidence really exists for it, and ask what you'd say to a friend thinking the same way. The NHS lists common patterns like always expecting the worst, black-and-white thinking and only seeing the bad (NHS Every Mind Matters (opens in a new tab)).
In cognitive behavioural therapy, this is called cognitive restructuring, and a written thought record is one way to do it: treating thoughts as ideas to test, not facts. A 2023 review pooled four studies of therapy for depression (353 clients) and found that more cognitive restructuring in sessions went with better outcomes. It's a small evidence base, mostly observational, and it's about therapy, not an app (Ezawa & Hollon, 2023 (opens in a new tab)). So treat this as a way to practise, not a fix.
When to use it
- A harsh thought keeps looping after a loss, a mark or a message.
- Before an exam, a match or a hard day at work, when worry runs ahead.
- Later, on a calmer moment, to look back at a thought that knocked you.
If thoughts turn to harming yourself, please talk to someone now.
More tools
Not medical advice. This is a wellbeing tool, not a treatment. If things feel heavy, talk to someone.