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The Observatory
Exercise11 minEmotionalRationality

The thinking traps

Take a painful automatic thought, see what distortion it carries — and write a truer version.

The path

How it works

  1. Catch the thought while it's freshWriteChoose
  2. Name the trapChoose
  3. Test the evidenceList
  4. Write a truer sentenceWriteChoose
Think of a recent occasion when your mood dropped quickly. There is usually an automatic thought behind it — a sentence that flew past without you examining it.

Exercise in 4 steps, about 11 minutes. Doing it is part of Premium, which you try free for 7 days with no card. With Premium your answers are saved so you can pick up where you left off and look back at what you wrote.

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The evidence

Why does it work?

Cognitive restructuring reduces depressive and anxiety symptoms and is a core component of CBT, the form of therapy with the strongest research support. Beck, Cognitive Therapy of Depression (1979).

Account, your first assessment with the hexagon and one new measurement every quarter are free. The rest is part of Premium: SEK 99 a month or SEK 699 a year, VAT included.

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