48 The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook
“It’s okay to feel sad/anxious/afraid sometimes.”“My thoughts don’t control my life, I do.”“I can think different thoughts if I want to.”“I’m not in danger right now.”“So what?”“This situation sucks, but it’s only temporary.”“I’m strong and I can deal with this.”Other ideas:Coping thoughts can help you tolerate distressing situations by giving you strength and moti-
vation to endure those experiences. Now that you know about coping thoughts, you can begin
using them immediately. Write your five favorite coping thoughts on an index card or a sticky note
and keep it with you in your wallet or purse. Or put your coping thoughts in conspicuous places
where you can see them every day, like on your refrigerator or mirror. The more you see your
coping thoughts, the more quickly they will become part of your automatic thought process.
Use the following worksheet to record stressful situations in which you use your coping
thoughts to give you strength. Make copies of the worksheet, and keep one with you so that
you can record the experience as soon as it happens. Recording the experience quickly might be
awkward or inconvenient for you, but doing it this way will help you remember to use your self-
encouraging coping thoughts more often. Read the example worksheet for ideas about when coping
thoughts might be helpful to you.