Balanced Alternative Thought Worksheet
This sheet helps you write a more accurate thought about an upsetting situation, one that gives weight to both sides instead of a cheerful line. Each part matches one step of the exercise, so you can work through it on paper.
A self-guided exercise drawn from CBT. It is not therapy.
How to use this sheet
- After you have looked at both sides, write a new thought that accounts for each side, not only the side you wish were true.
- Begin the new thought with “A more accurate view is…”, not with phrases such as “I should think” or “positively speaking”.
- Check that the new thought feels true, not only more pleasant. If it does not feel credible, rewrite it until it does.
- Rate how much you believe the new thought. If the rating is low, revise the sentence before you go on.
- Rate the upsetting thought again. Expect it to feel weaker, though it may not disappear.
Part 1: Both sides in brief
Write one or two lines that sum up what the facts on both sides show.
Part 2: A more accurate view is
Finish this sentence in plain, specific words: “A more accurate view is…”
Part 3: Why it feels true
On each line, write one reason the new thought feels true, not only more pleasant, and tick each reason you believe.
Part 4: How much I believe it
Rate how much you believe the new thought, from 0 (not at all) to 10 (completely). If it is below 3, go back to Part 2 and revise it.
- 0
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
Part 5: The upsetting thought, again
Write the upsetting thought, sometimes called the hot thought, and rate how strongly you believe it now compared with before.
| Upsetting thought | Belief before (0 to 10) | Belief now (0 to 10) |
|---|---|---|
Part 6: What has eased
Note what has eased and what still feels strong.
Questions to think about
- What did the first draft of the new thought sound like, and what made it feel generic?
- Why might a revised estimate that accounts for both sides change how you feel more than a cheerful sentence would?
For group use
Ask people to read their new thought aloud and say whether they believe it. A sentence the group finds cheerful but the person does not believe is not finished yet.
Watch out for
Writing a generic positive line, such as that everything will be fine, which the mind does not accept. The new thought has to name something specific and accurate.
Scan to continue this practice with Io
https://www.ixcoach.com/start-coaching?surface=practice&slug=the-thought-record%2Fbalanced-alternative-thought&utm_source=print&utm_medium=worksheet_qr&utm_campaign=worksheets
Sources: Stott et al. (2010), Imagery Re-scripting — related research on the necessity of credible alternative representations; Ezawa, I. D., & Hollon, S. D. (2023). Cognitive restructuring and psychotherapy outcome: A meta-analytic review. Psychotherapy, 60(3), 396–406.; Hofmann, S. G., Asnaani, A., Vonk, I. J. J., Sawyer, A. T., & Fang, A. (2012). The efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy: A review of meta-analyses. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 36(5), 427–440.. Evidence: Clinical practice.
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