Journaling Tools

THE COGNITIVE TRIANGLE
FEELINGS WHEEL
image retrieved from psychologycompass.com

ATTENDD Journaling

Try using the mnemonic device ATTENDD* to guide the journaling process.

ATTENDD: Awareness, Tension, Thoughts, Emotions, iNtuition, Dreams, Distractions Awareness: Write down anything that seems to have changed or feels different in your life.

Tension: Pay attention to your body and note when you experience any physical sensations, tension or tightness.

Thoughts: Take note of any unusual or upsetting thoughts that come up and write them down. Once you see them on paper, does your thinking change?

Emotions: Pay attention to your emotions. Do you feel joyous, depressed, elated, or fearful? Are these feelings different from what you experienced in your last session?

iNtuition: Stay conscious of anything that comes to you intuitively during the week. Do you instinctively have a better understanding of your relationships, your therapy, anything that’s been on your mind?

Dreams: As soon as you wake up in the morning, write down everything you remember about your dreams, including partial images, people, objects, and feelings.

Distractions: Pay attention to what, if anything, is distracting you. Is there a pattern you can discern within the distractions? 

*Borkin, S. 2014, October. Journaling Exercises to Enhance your Clinical Work: Use the Power of the Pen in Your Practice. Retrieved from www.psychotherapynetworker.org.

5-minute Daily Journal

Date:

MORNING

I am grateful for:

  1.  
  2.  
  3.  

What would make today great (things within your control):

  1.  
  2.  
  3.  

Affirmations/Intentions/Mantras for today:

  1.  
  2.  
  3.  

EVENING

Three positive things that happened today:

  1.  
  2.  
  3.  

How I could have made today even better/What I will try tomorrow:

  1.  
  2.  
  3.  

*adapted from ‎Intelligent Change

ABCDE Journal Template


Activating Event/Situation:
Belief/Thought:
Consequences:
Feeling:
Behavior:
Disputation of Belief:
Exchange for Effective New Belief:
New Feeling:
New Behavior:

Click here for a free, fillable worksheet version

Behavior Log

Date/time:

Before engaging in the behavior

Thought (about yourself or an experience):

Feeling (emotion) and intensity rating (0-100%):

Need this behavior meets:

After engaging in the behavior

Thought (about yourself or an experience):

Feeling (emotion) and intensity rating (0-100%):

Was your need met? (0-100%)

Food Journal

Date/time:

Before eating-

Thought (about yourself, a recent experience, or food):

Feeling (emotion) and intensity rating 0-100:

Hunger rating 0-100:

Food choice (focus on servings/portions and food groups rather than calories or volume):

After eating-

Thought (about yourself, a recent experience, or food):

Feeling (emotion) and intensity rating 0-100:

Fullness rating 0-100:

You can use the feelings wheel to identify emotions: https://feelingswheel.app/