Automatic Thoughts: Three Questions and Reflective Practice
To explore this topic further, discover my book: The Practical CBT Guide(PDF €4.99)
Companion reading: Cognitive Distortions: How System 1 Thinking Deceives You.
In this article, I explore the topic “Automatic Thoughts: Three Questions and Reflective Practice”. I also wrote The Practical CBT Guide, if you would like to explore further.
The 3 questions that defuse System 1
When a negative thought explodes in your mind, activate System 2 with 3 questions:
These seemingly simple questions engage the prefrontal cortex—the seat of System 2—and slow the automatic emotional cascade.
The trap: intuitions that "feel true"
Kahneman emphasizes: System 1 never says "I don't know." It always delivers an answer, even on topics where it's incompetent. In relationships, finance, health, career decisions—the feeling of obviousness is a danger signal, not truth.
In therapy, when a patient says "I feel they don't love me anymore," we treat that certainty as a hypothesis to test, never as a fact.
Training System 2
Like a muscle, System 2 strengthens with regular training:
- Thought journal: note 3 automatic thoughts per day and submit them to the 3 questions
- 10-second pause before any strong emotional reaction (slowing activates S2)
- Written formulation: writing forces structure, thus exiting S1
Further reading
In brief: Three questions, the pull of an intuition that feels true, and reflective practice drawn from the article on automatic thinking.
About the author
Gildas Garrec · CBT practitioner
Author of books and articles on applied psychology and relationships.
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