The cognitive triangle is always at work inside our minds, and can easily become a trap we get stuck in.

One of the hardest things to learn in depression is that our thoughts are not an accurate reflection of reality, they are projections of our mind. Likewise, our expectations of others are the filter for our judgments. Other people aren’t thinking just like you, because other people are different from you. As you can see, our thoughts become our reality. Becoming aware of how you are thinking, and teaching yourself to think better, is one of the most valuable things you can do for your quality of life.

• 9 Cognitive Distortions That Can Cause Anxiety and Depression (video, 5m30s): Cognitive distortions are unhelpful ways of thinking that easily build into a spiral. Learning how to think better can drastically change the landscape of your mind.

• Cognitive Distortions & Untwisting Your Thinking (worksheet): This worksheet walks you through common cognitive distortions, and examples of how you can use this knowledge to think differently.

• Unhelpful Thinking Styles (worksheet): Another worksheet that succinctly describes the thinking errors.