Dysfunctional Thought Records
The best way to do the Logic Style is by creating what is known as a Dysfunctional Thought Record (or DTR).
Grab a notebook, draw three columns on a blank page, and label each column like this:
In the distressing thought column, write down any complete sentence that makes you feel anxious or sad. Anxious thoughts might include: “I’m going to mess up / fail”, “I won’t know what to say”, or “They won’t like me”. Anxious thoughts are usually in the future. Depressing thoughts might include: “I’m boring” “Nobody loves me” “I’m worthless”. Depressing thoughts are usually more in the present.
There are three rules for distressing thoughts. The first is that you must write a complete sentence. For example, “party” and “date” are not complete sentences. Instead you would need to write, “I am going to be anxious at the party” or “I’m going to be awkward on my date.” The second rule is that you are not allowed to write a question. Instead, answer the question in a negative way. For example, instead of writing “Will she call me back?” you would write “She won’t call me back.” The final rule is that you are not allowed to just write down an emotion. For example, if you just wrote down “I’m anxious” or “I’m depressed”, that’s not enough. Instead you’d have to write down why you’re anxious or why you're depressed.
In the distortions column, for each distressing thought, identify two or three distortions that apply to that thought. Here is the list cognitive distortions:
