The specific details for practicing CBT differ from book to book and therapist to therapist, but the basic process is something like this: When you are feeling anxious, depressed, or otherwise distressed, take a moment to write down what you are feeling. Write down your level of distress. (For example, you could score it on a scale of 1 to 100.) Write down what happened and what your automatic thoughts were when you felt the pang of anxiety or despair. (For example, “Someone I was interested in canceled our date. I said to myself, ‘This always happens. No one will ever want to go out with me.
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