Consider a thought that you tend to see as black and white. Consider some alternative thoughts or ideas you could have instead. Or, when one comes to mind, return to this page and complete the following chart to practice banishing black and white thinking.

Black & White Thought

Example: I can’t go to restaurants because I always overeat and ignore my healthy goals.

Alternative Thoughts

I can choose restaurants that have healthy choices that I find tasty. I can have a healthy snack before I go out to eat to help prevent overeating at the restaurant.

As you make changes to your way of thinking, be self-kind, not self-critical. Thinking rationally is like putting on a new, clear pair of glasses. What looked blurry or confusing before may seem more clear. New solutions to a challenge may appear once you look at it differently.