Action
Challenge unhelpful thoughts
Cognitive restructuring of beliefs such as perfectionism or catastrophising.
Studies (28)
Paper
Eight group therapy sessions helped anxious teens put off schoolwork lessTestedHelpedTeens who had eight group sessions on unhelpful thoughts, time and goals put off schoolwork less than the others.
Small randomised trial of 30 anxious teenagers in Iran · vs teens who got nothing · they rated themselves · ⚠ results look too good to be true
Paper
Sleep therapy by video helped pregnant women put off going to bed lessTestedHelpedWeekly therapy on sleep times, winding down and bad thoughts about sleep cut putting off bed more than emailed tips.
Small randomised trial of 64 pregnant women with sleep problems · vs six weekly emails with general sleep tips · they rated themselves
Paper
A short course on using time well helped girls put off schoolwork lessTestedHelpedGirls who had seven group sessions on time management put off schoolwork less than the waiting group.
Small randomised trial of 30 schoolgirls in Ahvaz, Iran · vs girls offered the course afterwards · they rated themselves · ⚠ results look too good to be true; numbers unreliable
Paper
A 12-week online course on their own helped adult students put things off lessTestedHelpedAn online course on unhelpful thoughts, feelings and planning time cut putting things off more than waiting did.
Small randomised trial of 66 adult college students in Beijing, China · vs people still waiting for the course · they rated themselves · ⚠ not yet checked by other scientists; numbers unreliable
Paper
One-to-one therapy at school helped struggling teenagers put things off lessTestedHelpedWeekly one-to-one talks on unhelpful thoughts, stress and solving problems helped teens put things off less than waiting.
Randomised trial of 129 struggling teenagers at school in Pakistan · vs teenagers who waited 8 weeks · they rated themselves · ⚠ many people dropped out; only counted people who finished; numbers unreliable; results look too good to be true
Paper
Twenty weekly therapy sessions helped students put off going to bed lessTestedHelpedAfter 20 weekly sessions on hard feelings and thoughts, students put off bedtime less than waiting students for three months.
Small randomised trial of 32 university students who put off bedtime · vs students still waiting for the therapy · they rated themselves
Paper
Teens put things off less after group therapy, but nobody compared groupsUsedNo comparisonAfter eight weekly group sessions on unhelpful thoughts, teens put things off less, but no other group was checked.
Small randomised trial of 60 teens of mothers in addiction recovery · no comparison group · they rated themselves · ⚠ summary claims more than the results show; numbers unreliable; groups weren't properly compared
Paper
A coached online course helped students put things off a little lessTestedHelpedStudents who did a coached online course on unhelpful thoughts put things off a little less than the waiting group.
Randomised trial of 403 Dutch university students who put things off · vs students still waiting for the course · they rated themselves · ⚠ many people dropped out
Paper
After a ten-session course on bouncing back, students said they put off schoolwork lessTestedHelpedStudents who had ten lessons on negative thoughts and planning said they put off schoolwork less than untrained students.
Small randomised trial of 30 secondary school students in Iran · vs students who got nothing · they rated themselves · ⚠ numbers unreliable
Paper
Girls who learned to aim at learning, not scores, put off schoolwork lessTestedHelpedAfter twelve group sessions on learning over scores, girls said they put off schoolwork less than untrained girls.
Small randomised trial of 30 high-school girls in Iran · vs girls who got the training only afterwards · they rated themselves · ⚠ numbers unreliable
Paper
Online help for perfectionism cut putting things off no more than a feelings courseUsedNo differenceOnline help for perfectionism cut putting things off no more than an online course on dealing with feelings.
Randomised trial of 138 adults in Sweden with strong perfectionism · vs an online feelings course with the same therapist · they rated themselves
Paper
Two kinds of mind training did not cut putting things off more than noneTestedNo differenceTwelve sessions on changing upsetting pictures in the mind while relaxed did not cut putting things off more than none.
Small randomised trial of 45 final-year schoolgirls in Iran who put things off · vs students who got no training · they rated themselves · ⚠ summary claims more than the results show
Paper
Weekly online therapy helped students put off schoolwork lessTestedHelpedAfter online sessions on bad thoughts and plans, students put off work less than waiting students, even four months on.
Small randomised trial of 30 university students in Bangladesh · vs students still waiting for the course · they rated themselves
Paper
Two group therapies cut putting off schoolwork in schoolgirls after floodsTestedHelpedGirls who had nine weekly group sessions on unhelpful thoughts put things off less than girls who got nothing.
Small randomised trial of 60 schoolgirls with trauma stress after floods · vs girls who got no treatment · they rated themselves · ⚠ numbers unreliable; many people dropped out
Paper
A mindfulness and thinking course helped students put off schoolwork lessTestedHelpedAfter a four-week course on mindfulness and unhelpful thoughts, students put off schoolwork less than the group that waited.
Small randomised trial of 43 Muslim university students in Indonesia · vs students still waiting for the course · they rated themselves · ⚠ numbers unreliable; only counted people who finished
Paper
Girls trained against feeling helpless said they put off schoolwork less, but started higherTestedHelpedGirls trained on thoughts, goals and stress put off schoolwork less than the waiting group, but started far higher.
Small randomised trial of 30 teenage girls who put off schoolwork · vs girls who were still waiting · they rated themselves · ⚠ numbers unreliable; groups differed at the start; summary claims more than the results show
Paper
Therapy and a home reward chart helped dreamy children put things off lessTestedHelpedChildren who had nine talks on their thoughts, plus a home reward chart, put off schoolwork less than untreated children.
Very small randomised trial of 10 slow, dreamy children aged 11 to 14 · vs children who got no therapy · they rated themselves · ⚠ numbers unreliable; results look too good to be true
Paper
A day of group therapy didn't clearly help students put things off lessTestedNo differenceA day of group therapy on thoughts and problems worked no better for putting things off than a plain course.
Small randomised trial of 43 Chinese students with high internet addiction scores · vs a training course on internet addiction · they rated themselves · ⚠ summary claims more than the results show
Paper
Two group programmes helped burned-out schoolgirls put things off less, equally wellTestedHelpedEight group sessions on unhelpful thoughts and solving problems also helped girls put things off less than nothing.
Small randomised trial of 45 schoolgirls in Iran burned out by school · vs girls who got nothing until the study ended · they rated themselves
TestedNo differenceThe values sessions worked no better for putting things off than the sessions on unhelpful thoughts.
Small randomised trial of 45 schoolgirls in Iran burned out by school · vs eight group sessions on unhelpful thoughts · they rated themselves
Paper
School group sessions helped teens at risk of gaming problems put things off lessTestedHelpedOver a year, teens who had four school group sessions put things off less than teens who only did questionnaires.
Randomised trial of 422 German teens at risk of gaming problems · vs students who only filled in questionnaires · they rated themselves · ⚠ whole groups were assigned, not people
Paper
An online course on handling hard feelings helped students put things off lessTestedHelpedA 9-week online course on handling hard feelings helped students put things off less than the waiting group.
Randomised trial of 148 university students in Germany · vs students still waiting for the course · they rated themselves · ⚠ numbers unreliable
Paper
Group lessons on explaining setbacks were reported to help children with dyslexiaTestedHelpedKids who learned to blame setbacks on effort, not skill, were said to put off schoolwork less than the others.
Small randomised trial of 30 children aged 7 to 10 with dyslexia · vs children who got nothing · they rated themselves · ⚠ numbers unreliable
Paper
Two kinds of group therapy both helped boys who self-harm put off schoolwork lessTestedHelpedBoys who had eight group sessions on unhelpful thoughts put off schoolwork less than boys who were still waiting.
Small randomised trial of 45 secondary-school boys in Iran who self-harm · vs boys who waited for the sessions · they rated themselves · ⚠ numbers unreliable
Paper
Girls put off schoolwork less after group therapy on deep-rooted beliefsTestedHelpedAfter ten group sessions of therapy on deep-rooted beliefs, girls said they put off schoolwork less than untreated girls.
Small randomised trial of 30 high-school girls who put off schoolwork a lot · vs girls who got nothing · they rated themselves · ⚠ results look too good to be true
Paper
Seven group therapy sessions helped midwives put off work and decisions lessTestedHelpedAfter seven group sessions on unhelpful thoughts and splitting tasks, midwives put off work less than others for two months.
Small randomised trial of 47 midwives in Iran who put things off · vs midwives who got nothing · they rated themselves · ⚠ numbers unreliable
TestedHelpedThe same group sessions also helped midwives put off decisions less than those who got nothing.
Small randomised trial of 47 midwives in Iran who put things off · vs midwives who got nothing · they rated themselves · ⚠ numbers unreliable
Paper
Eight short mindfulness lessons helped teenage girls put off schoolwork lessTestedHelpedAfter eight short lessons on calm breathing and hard thoughts, girls put off schoolwork less than girls without lessons.
Small randomised trial of 88 eighth-grade girls in Tehran, Iran · vs girls who got no lessons · they rated themselves · ⚠ numbers unreliable
Paper
Eight therapy sessions on unhelpful beliefs helped sixth-grade girls put off schoolwork lessTestedHelpedGirls who had eight sessions on spotting and fighting bad beliefs put off schoolwork less than girls who got nothing.
Small randomised trial of 30 sixth-grade girls in Iran · vs girls who got nothing · they rated themselves · ⚠ numbers unreliable; summary claims more than the results show
Paper
Group lessons on positive thinking and goals helped teenage girls put off schoolwork lessTestedHelpedGirls who had group lessons on good thoughts and goals put off schoolwork less than the waiting group.
Small randomised trial of 30 teenage girls at high school in Iran · vs girls still waiting for the lessons · they rated themselves · ⚠ numbers unreliable; many people dropped out
Often used with it
Action4
Learn how the problem worksPsychoeducation about procrastination, habits, sleep, routines or ADHD.
Action2
Solve problems step by stepStructured problem solving: define, list options, choose, try, review.
