This	reflects	an	unlovability	core	belief.	Deep	down,	Ahmed	believes	no	one
is	going	to	love	him.
After	you	use	the	downward	arrow	technique	with	a	number	of	your
anxious	thoughts,	you	will	see	certain	core	beliefs	showing	up	repeatedly.	The
next	step	is	to	start	challenging	these	deeply	rooted	ideas	you	carry	about
yourself.
STRATEGY:	TEST	YOUR	CORE	BELIEFS
In	this	exercise	I’m	going	to	push	you	out	of	your	comfort	zone	so	you	can
see	if	your	core	beliefs	are	as	accurate	as	they	feel	to	you.	I	want	you	to
literally	go	out	in	the	world	and	test	your	core	beliefs—see	if	they	actually
hold	up	to	reality.
If	you	realize	that	at	the	root	of	your	anxious	thinking	is	a	deep	fear	that
you’re	unlovable,	go	out	and	talk	to	others,	join	a	group,	make	a	point	to
spend	time	regularly	with	someone,	or	even	ask	close	others	if	they	like	you.
If	you	recognize	a	core	belief	that	you’re	incompetent/helpless,	go	out	and
take	on	a	new	but	doable	task:	Sign	up	for	a	class,	
create
	
something,	clean
your	house,	organize	a	closet,	build	or	fix	something,	read	a	book	to
completion.
As	you	enter	the	situation,	insert	a	different	thought	(even	if	you	don’t	quite