Skip to main content
A Singapore Government Agency Website How to identify
Official website links end with .gov.sg
Government agencies communicate via .gov.sg websites (e.g. go.gov.sg/open). Trusted websites
Secure websites use HTTPS
Look for a lock () or https:// as an added precaution. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.
Resilient Responders

Automatic Thoughts

Learning to recognise and reframe automatic thoughts into helpful ones is a key step in breaking unhelpful thought and behavioural patterns.

Last updated 28 May 2026

Perception of Events

Our thoughts can shape our actions.

Diagram showing how the interrelationships between thoughts, feelings and behaviours.

For example:

Flowchart: a situation where "you see a dog" leads to thinking "it is dangerous" or "it is cute," which respectively leads to feeling "scared, anxious" or "excited," which then leads to behaviours of either "running" or "petting the dog".

It is not the event that bothers us. Instead, it is the way we interpret the event - the meaning we give to the event - that results in our feelings. This explains why two people experiencing the same event can react in completely different ways.

This also means that although we may not always be able to change the situations we find ourselves in or the people we meet, we are in charge of how we interpret events. Our attitudes and perspectives can determine how we feel.

Automatic Thoughts

Since our thoughts can determine how we feel, which can shape our actions, it is important to know what type of thoughts we may have.

We may have automatic thoughts that just 'pop' into our minds. While these thoughts are often very believable, they can be biased. This biasedness could have stemmed from our own personal experiences or social learning.

However, what we can do when an automatic thought 'pops' into our mind is to recognise whether the thought is helpful or unhelpful for the situation.

Examples of Unhelpful Thoughts

After attending to a challenging or routine call, when doing your work supporting the organisation, or even in your personal life, there may be some automatic thoughts that 'pop' into your mind. These thoughts can fall under the category of unhelpful thinking styles, which include the following:

Diagram shows examples of unhelpful thought patterns, such as black-or-white thinking and overgeneralising.
Diagram shows examples of unhelpful thought patterns, such as personalising the situation and mental filter.

Note: This list is not exhaustive.

Helpful Thoughts

Looking at certain situations and perceiving them as unhelpful can be a positive point of growth! It is possible to break the cycle of negativity and challenge your unhelpful thoughts. This can be done by reframing such thoughts into more helpful thoughts, so that you can break free from negative patterns of behaviours. Try out these tools to challenge unhelpful thoughts and build your mental fitness!

References