What else can changing my thoughts do?

Focusing on positive, helpful thoughts can strengthen your ability to manage tough everyday situations by becoming more realistic and giving yourself the benefit of the doubt. You don't have to be blindly optimistic, but you should be able to see both good and bad things in a balanced way. You can change how you feel by what you do and think. When you are feeling better, you are in much better shape to take on life's challenges.

The next three modules (Modules 6, 7, and 8) introduce the skills that you need to make your thinking more balanced and realistic. This is not an easy task. Negative, unrealistic thinking may have become a habit for you and you may not even notice it. When we fail to act or change we are giving up control over the aspects of our lives that we can control: our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Giving up that control can make us feel worse.