Here are some things you can do about cognitive distortions: When you feel a negative emotion stop focusing on it for a second and isolate the thought that caused it Write down the thought Check how much distress the thought causes you Look for alternatives to the thought that are not as distressing Try to figure out what kind of cognitive distortion it is. Try to see if you can accept the alternative reasonable thought in place of the distorted one. Measure your level of distress again.