decrease	because	you’re	able	to	see	the	situation	at	hand	more	realistically,	or
at	least	entertain	other	possibilities.
STRATEGY:	DOWNWARD	ARROW
TECHNIQUE
The	downward	arrow	technique	is	effective	for	identifying	what	deeper	belief
you	hold	about	yourself	that	is	triggering—and	driving—your	anxious
thoughts.	In	cognitive	behavioral	therapy,	core	beliefs	are	described	as	your
most	central	thoughts	about	yourself	and	the	
meaning
	
you	ascribe	to	the
normal	difficulties	we	all	face.	When	a	core	belief	is	activated,	your	brain
switches	into	a	mode	in	which	you	take	in	only	information	that	supports	the
belief,	and	disregard	anything	that	may	challenge	it.	This	traps	you	in	a
feedback	loop	of	biased	thoughts	generated	by	that	core	belief.
When	you’re	caught	up	in	negative	core	beliefs,	it	becomes	difficult	to
think	realistically	about	the	events	in	your	life.	Learning	to	identify	and
challenge	our	core	beliefs	means	these	flawed	ideas	no	longer	make	decisions
for	us.
Negative	core	beliefs	typically	fall	into	two	general	categories:	beliefs
associated	with	
helplessness
	
and	beliefs	associated	with	
unlovability
	
.	See	if
any	of	the	examples	below	sound	familiar	to	you.
Examples	of	Helpless	Core	Beliefs
I’m	a	failure.