Thoughts are not facts use a written test to disarm distortions

A sharp mood drop often begins with a sentence you barely notice. “I always screw this up.” That line recruits more like it, and together they tilt your whole day. Psychologists call these automatic thoughts, and they often contain distortions—mental shortcuts that seem true but don’t survive a fair test.

One practical tool is the three‑column check. First, capture the exact thought in writing. Don’t polish it. Second, label the distortion. Overgeneralizing turns a single mistake into a lifelong pattern. Mind‑reading assumes others’ judgments without evidence. Catastrophizing races to worst‑case outcomes. All‑or‑nothing thinking erases the middle. Labels don’t fix everything, but they put you back in the driver’s seat.

Third, draft one balanced alternative that passes two tests: it is specific and it is believable to you. “I messed up one slide” is specific. “The Q&A went smoothly, and I got two nods” looks for real counter‑evidence. Then you take a small, outward step aligned with the new thought. Send the follow‑up, ask for one piece of feedback, or schedule 10 minutes to fix the slide. Behavior closes the loop so your brain learns the revised story.

Here’s a micro‑anecdote: after a choppy presentation, a student wrote, “I’m terrible at public speaking.” She labeled it overgeneralizing, rewrote it to “I rushed the intro, but the demo landed,” and emailed the team to ask for one suggestion. Two replies came back, both kind and concrete. She improved her opener and felt lighter. The science is straightforward: catching distortions, crafting balanced alternatives, and testing with behavior reduces rumination and builds accuracy. Over time, you become fairer with yourself and braver with fixes.

Next time your mood dips, grab paper and write the exact thought, then label the distortion without judgment. Draft one fair, specific alternative you can actually believe and take a small action that matches it. Keep these three columns for a week so your brain sees the pattern that thoughts can change when tested. Small outward steps make the new story real—send the message, ask for feedback, or start a tiny 10‑minute fix. Try it on your very next negative loop today.