Module 3 Lesson 3. Thinking differently Nazma’s unhelpful and helpful thoughts Nazma thinks to herself when Abbas cannot find his keys: “I cannot leave Abbas alone anymore.” This makes her feel miserable. This means that Nazma is thinking in an unhelpful way. Unhelpful thoughts can make it harder to respond in useful ways to situations like this. Instead, Nazma could think: “Abbas has dementia and is sometimes worried when he loses things. I can take some time to help and then go.” This different way of thinking will probably make Nazma feel better and help her stay calm and compassionate. Helpful thoughts can make it easier to respond in useful ways to situations like these. Keep in Mind It is not always the event itself that makes you feel angry, sad, happy or miserable. Sometimes you cannot change the things that happen (events), but you can change your response (thoughts). Helpful or unhelpful thoughts can determine how you respond to a situation. Negative thoughts can make us feel bad. By thinking differently, you might feel better and be able to better deal with events.