It’s natural to feel worried every now and again, but our anxious thoughts can sometimes be unhelpful. It can be beneficial to step back, examine the evidence for your thoughts and explore other ways of looking at the situation.
The way we think, feel and behave are all linked and continuously affecting one another.
Sometimes though we develop patterns of thoughts or behaviors that are unhelpful. And because these can affect how we feel – and how we feel can in turn affect how we think and behave – it’s easy to find ourselves in a vicious cycle.
But many of us don’t realize that we can influence this process ourselves and improve our mental health by doing so.
Catch it, check it, change it
If you can learn to take a step back and challenge unhelpful thoughts by thinking about what evidence really exists to support them, over time you can succeed in changing them into more positive ones.
We call this the “catch it, check it, change it” technique.
Steps and strategies to help you reframe unhelpful thoughts
1. Know what to look for
It’s often the case that we are not even aware we’re thinking in an unhelpful way. This can make it difficult to catch these thoughts in the first place. However, if we know what sort of thinking is unhelpful, we may find it easier to spot.
Types of unhelpful thoughts include:
- always expecting the worst outcome from any situation
- ignoring the good sides of a situation and only focusing on the bad
- seeing things as either only good or only bad, with nothing in between (black and white thinking)
- considering yourself the sole cause of negative situations
2. Practice catching them
Try to keep the categories of negative thoughts in mind and, if you find yourself having an unhelpful thought as you go about your day, consider whether it fits one of them.
Learning to tune into your thoughts like this might feel difficult at first, but even just being aware of the types of unhelpful thoughts that exist should help you start to recognise when you’re engaging in unhelpful thinking yourself.
It’s often the case that we are not even aware we’re thinking in an unhelpful way. This can make it difficult to catch these thoughts in the first place.
3. Check your unhelpful thoughts
Once you have caught an unhelpful thought, the next stage is to check it. This means taking a step back and examining the situation.
For example, you might be worried about an important task you have to do at work, and are convinced it will go wrong and everyone will think you’re a failure.
Rather than immediately accepting this thought and feeling even worse, take a moment to check it. Try asking yourself:
- How likely is the outcome you’re worried about?
- Is there good evidence for it?
- Are there other explanations or possible outcomes?
- Is there good evidence for alternative ways of looking at the situation?
- What would you say to a friend if they were thinking this way?
4. Change them
Finally, see if you can change the thought for a neutral or more positive one.
Think back over the questions you asked yourself when you were checking your thought and see how you can reframe the situation.
5. Use a thought record to help
Don’t worry if you find the “Catch it, check it, change it” process difficult at first. Each step can take time to get used to, but with practice it will get easier.
Completing a thought record can help with any part you find tricky. This is a short, structured exercise that uses a set of 7 prompts to help you examine the evidence for your thoughts and feelings towards a situation, and how you can begin to reframe them.
View an example and downloadable Word document.
IThough they are not a substitute for therapy, emotional wellness applications are designed to promote positive moods and are used as coping tools. Check out our curated list of digital tools for teens and young adults.
6. Don’t worry if you cannot change a thought
Sometimes you will be able to change an unhelpful thought to a positive or neutral one, but this will not always be possible.
Don’t worry if you cannot change your thought: there are no right or wrong answers, and changing the thought is not the only way you can benefit from this process.
Reframing your thoughts is about learning to think more flexibly and be more in control. If you can learn to identify and separate unhelpful thoughts from helpful ones, you can find a different way to look at the situation.
Excerpted from “Reframing unhelpful thoughts” from National Health Service (UK). Read the full article online.
Source: NHS | Reframing unhelpful thoughts, https://www.nhs.uk/every-mind-matters/mental-wellbeing-tips/self-help-cbt-techniques/reframing-unhelpful-thoughts | Copyright 2025. Retrieved October 2025
