Question

think of a situation that recently upset you :

1: what were you doing ?
i was

2:what were you thinking ?
l was thinking about

3: what dicision did you make ?
the decision l made was

Answer 1

I can help you fill that out and also show ways to reflect on it. Below are three short example responses you can use as models, followed by a quick template and reflective questions to help you process whatever situation you have in mind.

Examples

1) Interpersonal (friend canceled)
- What were you doing? I was texting a friend after she canceled plans at the last minute.
- What were you thinking? I was thinking that she doesn’t value my time and that I must not be important to her.
- What decision did you make? The decision I made was to send an angry message and then stop replying.

Quick reflection: That reaction gave you a momentary release but later made you feel worse. An alternative would be to pause, ask why plans changed, and express your hurt calmly.

2) Work (deadline stress)
- What were you doing? I was finishing a report for my manager right before the deadline.
- What were you thinking? I was thinking that if it isn’t perfect I’ll be judged as incompetent.
- What decision did you make? The decision I made was to rush through it, skip proofreading, and send it off incomplete.

Quick reflection: Rushing increased your anxiety and led to corrections from your manager. An alternative: ask for a short extension or ask a colleague to proofread.

3) Driving/commute
- What were you doing? I was stuck in heavy traffic on my way to an appointment.
- What were you thinking? I was thinking I’d be late and everyone would be inconvenienced because of me.
- What decision did you make? The decision I made was to drive aggressively and honk a lot.

Quick reflection: That raised your stress and risk. An alternative: call ahead, accept the delay, use calming music or deep breaths.

Template you can use
- What were you doing? I was…
- What were you thinking? I was thinking…
- What decision did you make? The decision I made was…

Follow-up reflective questions (brief)
- What emotion(s) did you feel (anger, hurt, anxiety, embarrassment)?
- What evidence supports that thought? What evidence contradicts it?
- What were the short-term and long-term consequences of your decision?
- What could you do differently next time?
- What do you need now to feel better (apology, rest, boundary, problem-solving)?

If you want, write your own three lines here and I’ll help you reflect on it and suggest alternatives or coping steps.