habit of paying attention to your thoughts and actively trying to change them. Once 
the new patterns of thinking become second nature, it will no longer be necessary to 
record your thoughts on paper. In the meantime, we recommend that you use some 
type of diary or form several times per week after encountering feared social or perfor -
mance situations. The best times to complete the forms are either before entering the 
 situation (as a way of preparing for the encounter) or immediately afterward (as a way of 
 challenging any anxious thoughts that occurred while you were in the situation).