12.27 Judith S. Beck: Evaluate Your Thoughts

“When people learn to evaluate and respond to their thoughts more realistically, they feel better and function more effectively.” - Judith S. Beck

Do you have control over your thoughts, or do your thoughts control you?

Judith S. Beck is a psychologist and leading expert in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). CBT is a psychological approach that explains how thoughts, emotions, and behaviors are connected, and how changing unhelpful thinking patterns can lead to healthier emotions and more effective behavior.

In her book, Cognitive Behavior Therapy: Basics and Beyond, Beck wrote, “When people learn to evaluate and respond to their thoughts more realistically, they feel better and function more effectively.”

What you think affects how you feel, and how you feel affects what you do. CBT teaches people to notice negative or inaccurate thoughts, evaluate them, and replace them with more realistic and productive ones — leading to better decisions, performance, and well-being.

Learn how to manage your thoughts so they don’t manage you.

Question of the Day: What is one negative thought that you have about yourself, and how can you pause, evaluate, and reframe in a more realistic and helpful way?