The 3Cs (Cognitive Restructuring)

💡 What Is It?

A core CBT tool: Catch a negative automatic thought, Check the evidence for and against it, Change it with a more balanced perspective. This is not toxic positivity — it is intellectual honesty applied to your own thinking.

Source: CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy)

⏰ When to Use It

• Your brain jumps to worst-case scenarios
• You think in absolutes: I always, I never
• A specific thought keeps you stuck
• You need to challenge self-critical dialogue
• You feel overwhelmed by your own narrative

✋ How to Do It

1. 1

   C — Catch the thought

   When your mood shifts, ask: what just flashed through my mind? Write it down.

2. 2

   C — Check the evidence

   Act as a lawyer. What facts support this? What contradicts it? What would I tell a friend?

3. 3

   Identify the distortion

   Catastrophizing? All-or-nothing? Mind reading? Overgeneralization?

4. 4

   C — Change the thought

   Create a replacement that is accurate, not blindly optimistic.

5. 5

   Notice the shift

   Observe how your emotional intensity softens after reframing.

💡 Real-Life Example