Mind Over Mood: Change How You Feel by Changing the Way You Think

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Let’s say your hot thought is I’m always screwing up, and let’s say you had that thought after making a fairly minor mistake. These statements would be considered “credible evidence”:

Alternative/Balanced Thoughts: In this step, you switch to the role of judge. Weigh the evidence from both sides, and try to reach a fair and unbiased “verdict.” In other words, come up with a new thought or thoughts that represent a more balanced and realistic perspective. For example, in the I’m always screwing up case, you might draw these conclusions. To get personal: I have noticed some lasting differences. I’m not free of depression / bipolar, but I used to be more self-conscious and now I’m not as harsh on myself. For that I’m grateful. Rate Moods Now: Rate your moods from Step 2 again, as well as any new moods. If there hasn’t been a change for the better, review each step of your thought record and see if there are any places you could be more accurate, specific, or thorough. Tips for Success Cited as “The Most Influential Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy Publication” by the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies. Find this book Automatic Thoughts (and Images): List thoughts and images that pop up in relation to the situation. These thoughts can be so automatic that we don’t even know we’re thinking them. You can start by trying to remember what was going on in your mind right before your mood shifted. Here are a few typical examples of automatic thoughts:

Be patient. Learning to do thought records probably takes about as much mental coordination as learning to ride a bike takes physical coordination. For beginners, it can be difficult just to distinguish between situations, emotions, and thoughts – much less identify automatic thoughts, figure out which is the hot thought, and collect and evaluate evidence. Be patient and keep at it. Thought records get easier as you go, and over time they become second nature. I have used Mind Over Mood in my clinical work with patients for 20 years and have found that the second edition is even more helpful than the first. It is a great book for adults and not such a great book for kids, as it is not written at their level, and as the clinical vignettes are about adults with adult problems. Mind Over Mood is an amazing resource that any adult could benefit from reading and practicing the exercises it contains. The worksheets in the book can be a helpful resource to work on with a therapist trained in CBT, especially because it can be hard for people to effectively complete a thought record on their own. Readers who want to learn skills for balancing their thoughts, having less extreme emotional reactions, lowering their anxiety and experiencing happier moods would likely enjoy Mind Over Mood. Who would not enjoy this book? See also the Spanish-language edition: El control de tu estado de ánimo, Segunda edición. Plus, mental health professionals, see also The Clinician's Guide to CBT Using Mind Over Mood, Second Edition.

Evidence that Does Not Support the Hot Thought: Now take off your defense lawyer hat and put on your prosecutor hat. It’s time for some cross-examination. Your hot thought likely has some holes in its story, and your job now is to find them. This step tends to be harder. Your evidence against I’m always screwing up might look something like this: I suffer from anxiety. This book was recently recommended to me by my regular family doctor to see if I could change my negative thoughts into more positive ones. I don't feel any different now that I've read it.There are 7 steps to completing the Mind Over Mood thought record. I’ll give you an overview, though this isn’t meant as a comprehensive guide. The workbook walks you through the process in more detail. Negative thinking about the world is a style of thinking in which we notice and remember negative aspects of our experiences more vividly than positive or neutral events.

Repeated practice filling out Thought Records actually helps you learn to think more flexibly. After completing 20 – 40 thought records, many people report that they automatically begin to think alternative or balanced thoughts in distressing situations without writing out a Thought Record. When you reach this point, you will experience fewer and fewer situations as truly distressing, and you can spend your energy on solving what problems remain and on enjoying yourself in more situations.” Who would enjoy this book? Winner (Second Place)--American Journal of Nursing Book of the Year Award, Consumer Health Category In our video, “What is …?” Padesky briefly describes Mind Over Mood, 2nd Edition by Greenberger & Padesky (2016). She offers 2 warnings to readers. ​The book includes Reading Guides that direct readers to the skills most important in managing depression, anxiety, anger, guilt, and shame.

Once you have your list of thoughts, identify the hot thought. The hot thought is the one with the most “juice” or “charge,” the one most strongly linked to your mood. Circle the hot thought. This is the “defendant” you are going to put on trial. The book includes worksheets and practical exercises to recognise and alter negative thought processes. Some of the ‘behavioural experiments’ may seem repetitive and cumbersome, so an ‘approach with perseverance’ attitude is worth adopting.