Balanced Thinking Cheat Sheet

Spot the distortion → Challenge it → Reframe it

🔹 All-or-Nothing Thinking

“I failed this call—I'm terrible at my job.”
✅ Balanced Reframe: “This didn’t go the way I wanted, but it’s one moment. I’ve handled plenty of things well before.”

🔹 Overgeneralization

“People like me never get promoted.”
✅ Balanced Reframe: “This opportunity didn’t work out, but that doesn’t mean others won’t. Let’s focus on what I can influence.”

🔹 Mental Filtering

“I messed up that one detail—now the whole day is a disaster.”
✅ Balanced Reframe: “Yes, that part didn’t go well. But the rest of the shift was solid, and I handled a lot of things right.”

🔹 Mind Reading

“They didn’t say hi—they must be mad at me.”
✅ Balanced Reframe: “They might be distracted or having a rough day. I won’t assume—it’s better to check in.”

🔹 Catastrophizing

“If I screw this up, everything will fall apart.”
✅ Balanced Reframe: “This is important, but it’s not life or death. I can prep, show up, and handle it one step at a time.”

🔹 Labeling

“I’m such an idiot for doing that.”
✅ Balanced Reframe: “I made a mistake—everyone does. I can learn from this and move forward.”

🔹 Should Statements

“I should be handling this better.”
✅ Balanced Reframe: “I’m doing the best I can under the circumstances. That’s enough for now.”

🔹 Personalization

“That team’s tension is probably my fault.”
✅ Balanced Reframe: “There may be tension, but it’s not all on me. I’ll clarify what I can and stay open to feedback.”

🔁 Quick Tools to Recenter:

• Ask: “What’s the evidence for this? What’s another possible explanation?”

• Reframe: “A more balanced way of seeing this is…”

• Pause and breathe before responding. Let your second thought lead—not your first.