The ABCs

The ABCs help you understand how your thoughts, feelings and behaviours are all connected, and how you can make small changes that can have a big impact. It walks you through the link between an activating event, the belief about that event, the consequence of that belief, the dispute, and the effective new belief.

This tool helps you:

• Identify the activating event that triggered your urge or emotional upset.
• Notice the irrational belief that followed.
• Reflect on how that belief affects how you feel and act.
• Dispute the irrational belief with a more helpful one.
• See how a new rational belief can change your response.

Use this worksheet to write down the activating event, the irrational belief, the consequence, the dispute, the more helpful belief, and the effective change in your thinking. If you want more guidance, bring it to a SMART Meeting.