Check the Facts

Reduces emotional intensity by separating fact from story.

Check the Facts helps you evaluate whether your emotional response actually fits the situation. Often our emotions respond to our interpretations of events rather than the events themselves. This skill helps you see more clearly.

Steps

  • 1. Name the emotion you're feeling
  • 2. Identify the triggering event (just the facts — what a camera would record)
  • 3. Notice your interpretations, assumptions, and judgments about the event
  • 4. Ask: Are my interpretations based on facts or assumptions?
  • 5. Consider other possible interpretations
  • 6. Ask: Does my emotional intensity fit the actual facts?

Common Thinking Traps

  • Mind reading — Assuming you know what others are thinking
  • Fortune telling — Predicting the worst outcome
  • Black-and-white thinking — Seeing only extremes
  • Emotional reasoning — "I feel it, so it must be true"
  • Catastrophizing — Treating a difficulty as a disaster
If your emotion DOES fit the facts, that's useful information too. The emotion is telling you something real and you can problem-solve from there.

Resources