Start with an event
Write what happened, not the full interpretation. “I kept looking at my phone before opening the document” is easier to handle than “I am hopeless.” A small event gives the map a stable starting point.
Name the feeling simply
The feeling does not need to be exact. Heavy, anxious, scared, annoyed, stuck. Short words are enough. The goal is to separate the feeling from the event.
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Treat assumptions as temporary
An assumption is not a verdict. It is a sentence that may be running inside you, such as “If I am slow, I will be blamed.” Once it is written down, you can choose a newer value and try one behavior.