1. Stress Diary Journal Guides Guide 11: Alternative Thinking
Guide 11:
Alternative Thinking
Stress Diary Journal Ask Yourself…
Your Guide 1. What is the evidence?
 What evidence do I have
to support my
What is Alternative Thinking? thoughts?
Reflecting on how your thought and challenge Automatic  Does this way of thinking  What evidence do I have
patterns influence your Thoughts [The inner voice] and help me or does it hold me against them?
reaction to stress, this guide use the following guidelines to back? If so, How?
focus on how you can use reach more rational thoughts:
Alternative Thinking as a means Other Strategies include: 2. What alternative views
to further improve your stress Ask Yourself... are there?
If you find yourself thinking that
management skills. To change 1. What is the evidence? you are no good at anything and
your initial thoughts or reflect  How would someone
a failure, rather than continuing
on them is not easy when you  What evidence do I have to else view this situation?
in this thought – you may try to
are in the moment of a support my thoughts? change it to something more  How would I have
stressful situation, but these balanced and realistic. viewed this situation if I
questions and thought patterns  What evidence do I have
against them? were not so anxious
does help in preparing you to be A different thought would be to
about _____?
alert to, and adjust your 2. What alternative views are say ‘that you are good at many
thoughts, when you are in a there? things, and it’s OK not to be
similar situation. perfect at everything’.
 How would someone else 3. What is the effect of
So What can you do? By changing your thoughts in thinking the way I do?
view this situation?
this way, you can take some
What action can I take? What  How would I have viewed pressure off yourself, and this  Does this way of
can I do to change my this situation if I were not may paradoxically make it thinking help me or
situation? Am I overlooking so anxious about _____? easier for you to do things that does it hold me back? If
solutions to problems because I were previously causing you so, How?
think they won’t work? 3. What is the effect of
stress and anxiety.
thinking the way I do?
You need to learn to identify
C hallenge your thoughts
Challenging your negative also change the way you see ‘Having an
thoughts in this way over a other people as well. alternative
period of time can make a huge
difference to your levels of You may want to read further on thought is just
challenging your thoughts and
stress and self-esteem.
creating more healthy alternative
that,
Rather than seeing yourself as thoughts from the other guides an optional
a helpless individual with no we have available here: You can
control over our thoughts, read:
thought that
emotions or behaviours, you can be
might find a more balanced Guide 7. Automatic Thoughts.
approach will allow you to enjoy Guide 10. Socratic Questioning & Replaced’
and value your life more, and Guide 13. Alternative Questioning.
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The Stress Diary Journal
This 4 week programme to complete stress mastery, is an invaluable tool to effectively manage your stress -
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A companion guide to the Stress Diary Journal in a handy size to carry about , and for you to easily record
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