Here are 157 exercise worksheets I use in my sessions: anxiety and looping thoughts, CBT, ACT, mindfulness and breathing, emotion regulation (DBT), EMDR stabilisation, burnout, life abroad and migratory grief. They draw on third-wave CBT (ACT, mindfulness, DBT) and on the scientific studies cited in each worksheet.
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0110-15 min · several daysI’m having the thought that…Stepping back from anxious thoughts (defusion)See the worksheet →0210 min · several daysMy worry appointmentPostponing worries to a chosen timeSee the worksheet →0315 minHelpful or going round in circles?Telling helpful reflection apart from ruminationSee the worksheet →042-5 minDropping anchorComing back to the present moment when anxiety risesSee the worksheet →0520 minMy compassChoosing an action guided by your values, despite anxietySee the worksheet →0620-30 minUnderstanding my anxietyThe cycle of trigger, thoughts, body, behaviours (psychoeducation)See the worksheet →075 min · several daysThe observation diaryNoting moments of anxiety and rumination throughout the weekSee the worksheet →0820 minThe map of my avoidancesSpotting avoidance and safety behavioursSee the worksheet →0920-30 min · several daysThe ladder of small stepsBuilding a gradual exposure planBetter with your psychologistSee the worksheet →1015 minWhat I fear, what happenedTesting an anxious prediction (behavioural experiment)Better with your psychologistSee the worksheet →1115-20 minThe traps of anxious thinkingSpotting the most common thinking errorsSee the worksheet →1215-20 minExamining a worryProbability, severity, resources: bringing the fear back to its real sizeSee the worksheet →1320 min · several daysLiving with doubtLiving with uncertainty instead of seeking certaintySee the worksheet →1420 minWhat does worrying do for me?Beliefs about worry and ruminationSee the worksheet →155 min · several daysSlow breathingSlow breathing to accompany anxietySee the worksheet →163 min · several daysThe three-minute breathing spaceA brief mindfulness exercise to step out of autopilotSee the worksheet →1710 min · several daysThe short body scanLiving in your body rather than your head (mindfulness)See the worksheet →185-10 min · several daysLeaves on a streamLetting thoughts pass without following them (defusion)See the worksheet →195-10 minMaking room for the sensationWelcoming anxious sensations instead of fighting them (acceptance)See the worksheet →2010 minSTOP: not acting in the heat of the momentA distress tolerance skill (DBT)See the worksheet →2115 minDoing the opposite of what fear dictatesOpposite action (DBT)Better with your psychologistSee the worksheet →2210 minTalking to myself as I would to a friendThe self-compassion break for anxietySee the worksheet →2320 minFilling my week againPlanning activities that matter (behavioural activation)See the worksheet →2415 minWhen thoughts keep you awakePreparing for the night and getting out of bed when ruminatingBetter with your psychologistSee the worksheet →2520-30 minMy toolboxMaintaining progress and planning for difficult timesSee the worksheet →2610 min · several daysThank you, mindThanking your mind and naming its stories (defusion)See the worksheet →2715 minPassengers on the busStaying at the wheel even when thoughts shout (ACT metaphor)See the worksheet →2820-30 minWhat I have already triedTaking stock of control strategies (creative hopelessness)Better with your psychologistSee the worksheet →2910-15 minDropping the ropeStopping the tug-of-war with the anxiety monster (acceptance)See the worksheet →3010 minThe willingness dialChoosing to open up to discomfort for what matters (openness)See the worksheet →3110 min · several daysThe sky and the weatherDiscovering you are bigger than your thoughts and emotions (observing self)See the worksheet →3215 minThe chessboardNot being one of the pieces, but the board (observing self)See the worksheet →3320 minMy 80th birthday partyClarifying values by projecting far ahead (values)See the worksheet →3420 min · several daysThe values targetMeasuring the gap between values and life, area by areaSee the worksheet →3515 minThe choice pointNoticing whether I am moving towards or away from what matters to meSee the worksheet →3615-20 minThe ACT matrixA four-box map to find your bearings (matrix)See the worksheet →3720 minMy committed action planTurning a value into concrete actions, obstacles includedSee the worksheet →385-10 minThe raisinDiscovering mindfulness by eating a food very slowlySee the worksheet →395-15 minMindful walkingPaying attention to the walking bodySee the worksheet →40a few min · several daysA mindful everyday activityStepping out of autopilot during an ordinary taskSee the worksheet →4110 minListening to sounds, then thoughtsObserving what comes and goes (mindfulness)See the worksheet →425-15 min · several daysBreath meditationComing back to the breath, again and again (mindfulness)See the worksheet →435 min · several daysThe calming sighA short breathing pattern with a long out-breath (cyclic sighing)See the worksheet →4410-15 min · several daysReleasing the musclesA brief progressive muscle relaxationSee the worksheet →4515-20 min · several daysMy calm placeBuilding an inner resource of calm (stabilisation)Better with your psychologistSee the worksheet →4620-30 minThe map of my lossesNaming everything migration has made me lose (migratory grief)See the worksheet →4715-20 minMy adjustment curveMapping the ups and downs of settling in a new countrySee the worksheet →4815-20 minMy suitcaseWhat I take with me, what I leave behind, what I discoverSee the worksheet →4920 minMy network here and thereMapping social support in two countriesSee the worksheet →5015 minWhich language do I feel in?Emotions, memories and languages when living between two languagesSee the worksheet →5120 minBetween two culturesHow I combine my culture of origin and the one hereSee the worksheet →5215-20 minMy rituals for leaving and arrivingMarking transitions to get through them betterSee the worksheet →5315-20 min · several daysMoving between there and hereMaking room for homesickness and for the new life (dual process)See the worksheet →5420 minMy first weeks hereA landing plan to find your bearingsSee the worksheet →5520 minFar from those who stayed behindLiving with ambiguous loss: present in your heart, absent from daily lifeSee the worksheet →5620 minMy values travel with meKeeping a direction when everything around changes (values)See the worksheet →5710-15 minMaking room for homesicknessWelcoming homesickness without drowning in itSee the worksheet →5820 minThe shock of going backWhen returning home is harder than expectedSee the worksheet →5920-30 minFrom here and from thereTelling your migration story and your identitySee the worksheet →6020 minMy plan for difficult days, far from homeKnowing what to do and whom to call when I’m not well, in the country where I liveSee the worksheet →6115 minThe thought recordExamining an automatic thought and finding a more balanced oneSee the worksheet →6220 minThe downward arrowGoing down from a thought to the belief underneath itBetter with your psychologistSee the worksheet →6310 minQuestions that help you thinkQuestioning a thought without fighting itSee the worksheet →6415 min · several daysReal or hypothetical worry?Sorting worries: solving what can be solved, letting go of the restSee the worksheet →6520 minSolving a problem step by stepA simple method for moving from worry to actionSee the worksheet →6615-20 minFor and against changingLooking honestly at what I gain and lose by changingSee the worksheet →6710 min · several daysStopping putting things offGetting started with a 5-minute first stepSee the worksheet →6820 minThe panic cycleUnderstanding how a sensation turns into a panic attackSee the worksheet →6920-30 minBringing on the sensations on purposeLearning that the sensations of anxiety are not dangerous (interoceptive exposure)Better with your psychologistSee the worksheet →7020 minSocial anxiety: where does my attention go?Self-focused attention and safety behavioursSee the worksheet →715 min · several daysMy activity and mood logSeeing the link between what I do and how I feelSee the worksheet →7210 minMy qualities and achievementsRebalancing the way you see yourself (self-esteem)See the worksheet →7320 minMore flexible rulesLoosening perfectionism: from “I must” to “I would like to”See the worksheet →7420 minSaying what I needExpressing yourself assertively, simply and respectfullySee the worksheet →7515 minNaming my emotionBreaking an emotion down to understand it betterSee the worksheet →7615 minWhat are my emotions for?Understanding the message of each emotionSee the worksheet →7715 minLooking after my body to be overwhelmed lessReducing emotional vulnerability in daily lifeSee the worksheet →7815 min · several daysBuilding up positive momentsCreating pleasant emotions in daily life and a life that mattersSee the worksheet →79a few minBringing the body’s intensity down (TIP)Acting quickly on the body when emotion is extremeBetter with your psychologistSee the worksheet →8015 minDistracting myself on purposeGetting through an emotional peak without making things worseSee the worksheet →8115 minSoothing myself with the five sensesComforting yourself with pleasant sensationsSee the worksheet →8215-20 min · several daysRadical acceptanceFully accepting what cannot be changedSee the worksheet →8315 minFor and against the urgeThinking about the consequences before acting in the heat of the momentSee the worksheet →8415 minChecking the factsDoes my emotion fit the situation?See the worksheet →8530-45 minUnderstanding a behaviour link by linkChain analysisBetter with your psychologistSee the worksheet →8620 minAsking for what I needA clear request in four steps, while standing firmSee the worksheet →8720 minLooking after the relationship and my self-respectBeing kind to the other person and true to yourselfSee the worksheet →8810 min · several daysObserving, describing, participatingDBT mindfulnessSee the worksheet →8930-45 minMy safety plan for crisesKnowing what to do, step by step, when a situation becomes dangerousBetter with your psychologistSee the worksheet →9015 minWhat to expect from EMDR therapyUnderstanding the phases and preparing your questionsSee the worksheet →9120 minMy window of toleranceNoticing when I am over-activated, under-activated or in my zoneSee the worksheet →9215-20 minThe containerSetting aside, for a while, what overwhelms youBetter with your psychologistSee the worksheet →932-5 minComing back to the here and nowGrounding yourself when a memory intrudesSee the worksheet →9420 minRecognising when I disconnectSpotting the signs of dissociation and coming backBetter with your psychologistSee the worksheet →9520 minMy resourcesGathering what holds me up: people, places, qualities, memoriesBetter with your psychologistSee the worksheet →9610 minAfter a difficult sessionLooking after yourself between two sessionsSee the worksheet →9715 minMy signs of exhaustionRecognising the three dimensions of burnoutSee the worksheet →9820 minDemands and resourcesTaking stock of what weighs on me and what holds me up at workSee the worksheet →995 min · several daysMy energy budgetSeeing what drains me and what recharges meSee the worksheet →10015 minSwitching off after workThe four ways of recoveringSee the worksheet →10120 minSetting limits at workSaying no, negotiating, protecting your timeSee the worksheet →10215 minWhat depends on meSorting what I can act on, influence or acceptSee the worksheet →10320 minMy values at workFinding meaning in what I do againSee the worksheet →10420-30 minGoing back to work after sick leavePreparing a gradual returnSee the worksheet →105a few min · several daysBreaks in my dayShort stops to keep my energy upSee the worksheet →10615-20 min · several daysMy PERMA profileTaking stock of the five pillars of well-beingSee the worksheet →1075 minThree good thingsTraining your attention on what is going wellSee the worksheet →10820-30 minThe gratitude letterThanking someone who has matteredSee the worksheet →10920 min · several daysMy strengths in actionRecognising my strengths and using them differentlySee the worksheet →110a few min · several daysSavouringMaking good moments lastSee the worksheet →11115 min · several daysMy moments of flowGetting back to the activities that absorb meSee the worksheet →11215-20 minMy best possible selfImagining a future in which things have gone wellSee the worksheet →113a few minMy acts of kindnessDoing good for others, and for meSee the worksheet →11410 min · several daysResponding to good newsStrengthening relationships by sharing joySee the worksheet →11520 min · several daysWhat gives meaning, what I have achievedFeeding meaning and the pride of moving forwardSee the worksheet →11630-45 minMy lifelinePlacing the important moments of my life on a single lineSee the worksheet →11720-30 minThe chapters of my lifeTelling my life as a bookSee the worksheet →11830 minHigh point, low point, turning pointThe key scenes of my storySee the worksheet →11945-90 minFlowers and stonesA lifeline of the moments that did me good and those that hurtBetter with your psychologistSee the worksheet →12020-30 minThe resources on my lifelineWhat helped me get through the difficult periodsSee the worksheet →12120-30 minThe common threads in my storyWhat repeats from one chapter to the nextSee the worksheet →12220-30 minThe places of my lifeMy lifeline, city by citySee the worksheet →12320-30 minExtending the lineThe next chapters of my lifeSee the worksheet →12415-20 minThe three pillars of self-compassionMindfulness, common humanity, kindnessSee the worksheet →12515 minWhat if it were a friend?Comparing how I speak to others and how I speak to myselfSee the worksheet →12620 minThe kind letterWriting to myself as someone who wishes me well wouldSee the worksheet →12720 minMy three emotional systemsThreat, drive, soothingSee the worksheet →12820-30 minUnderstanding my inner criticWhat it says, what it is trying to protectSee the worksheet →12910-15 min · several daysMy compassionate selfImagining the wisest, strongest, warmest version of meSee the worksheet →13010-15 min · several daysLoving-kindness meditationSending good wishes, to myself and to othersSee the worksheet →13120-30 minWhat holds me back from compassionFears of kindness, towards myself and from othersBetter with your psychologistSee the worksheet →13220 minHelping without wearing myself outFrom empathic distress to compassionSee the worksheet →13315-20 min · several daysMy smoke detectorRecognising the false alarms of my protection systemSee the worksheet →13415 minMy two speedsThe body’s fast reaction and the cortex’s slower viewSee the worksheet →13520 minWhen the alarm takes overMy plan for coming back when I “lose it”See the worksheet →13615-20 minMy two questions in the face of stressWhat is at stake? What can I do?See the worksheet →13720 minProblem or emotion?Separating what I can change from what I can’tSee the worksheet →13820 minMy coping toolboxWhat I already do in the face of stress, and what it costs meSee the worksheet →13915 minThreat or challenge?Looking at the same situation from another angleSee the worksheet →14020 minFinding meaning in a difficult situationWhen I can’t change the situationSee the worksheet →1415 min · several daysMy back and forthBetween moments for the loss and moments for lifeSee the worksheet →14215 minWhat I feel in my griefEvery emotion has its placeSee the worksheet →14320 minThe bond that continuesWhat I keep of the person, and how I honour themSee the worksheet →14420-30 minThe letter I couldn’t giveTelling the person what was left unsaidSee the worksheet →14520 minThe difficult datesPreparing for anniversaries, holidays and firstsSee the worksheet →14620 minWhat has changed in my daily lifeThe tasks and roles to reinventSee the worksheet →14730 minGuilt and the “if only”sLooking at my self-reproaches more fairlyBetter with your psychologistSee the worksheet →14820-30 minWhat I have been avoiding since the lossGradually going back to places, objects and activitiesBetter with your psychologistSee the worksheet →14920-30 minMy attachment figuresThe people I turned to, then and nowSee the worksheet →15015-20 minMy attachment mapAnxiety and avoidance, depending on the relationshipSee the worksheet →1515 minWhen my attachment system is activatedRecognising my reactions of moving closer or pulling awaySee the worksheet →15230 minWhat I learnt as a child about relationshipsMy beliefs about myself and about others, and what remains of themBetter with your psychologistSee the worksheet →15320 minMy secure base todayThe people and places that reassure and encourage meSee the worksheet →15420 minSaying what I needReplacing protest or silence with a clear requestSee the worksheet →15515 min · several daysAccepting helpFor those used to doing everything on their ownSee the worksheet →15610 min · several daysMy memories of securityRemembering moments when someone was there for meSee the worksheet →15720-30 minMy list of valuesWhat matters to me, and how much I live itSee the worksheet →
What brings you here?
Choose what feels closest to what you are going through right now. Each topic starts with a short 3-step path.
Anxiety and panicWorries, fears, panic attacks · 14 worksheetsLooping thoughtsRumination, intrusive thoughts · 17 worksheetsOverwhelming emotionsAnger, crises, urges · 15 worksheetsMood and self-esteemSadness, lack of drive, self-criticism · 12 worksheetsStress and burnoutExhaustion, work, too much pressure · 20 worksheetsGrief and lossAfter losing someone close · 8 worksheetsTrauma and EMDRStabilising, preparing for therapy · 7 worksheetsLiving far from homeLife abroad, migratory grief, homesickness · 15 worksheetsRelationships and attachmentPartner, close relationships, needs, limits · 10 worksheetsCalm and mindfulnessBreathing, pausing, coming back to the present · 14 worksheetsLooking after myselfWell-being, self-kindness, my story · 27 worksheets
Guides to help you understand
Short and illustrated, to understand the ideas behind the worksheets.
What is ACT?Acceptance and commitment therapy in a few minutes→Intrusive thoughts and defusionWhy you can’t stop thinking, and what you can do instead→Accepting isn’t giving upMaking room for difficult emotions→Values: a compass, not a destinationKnowing what really matters, and telling it apart from what only seems to→Mindfulness, made simpleWhat it is, what it isn’t and how to start→Breathing and anxiety: what the science saysWhat breathing can do, and what it can’t→
See all 26 guides
Understanding anxietyA useful alarm that sometimes rings too loudly→Rumination: when thinking no longer helpsRecognising the loop and getting out of it→Migratory griefWhy leaving hurts, even when you chose it→What is CBT?Cognitive behavioural therapy explained simply→Panic attacksUnderstanding what happens, and why it isn’t dangerous→Social anxietyThe fear of other people’s judgement, and how it keeps going→Exposure: why facing things helpsFacing your fears step by step, without forcing yourself→Low mood and activationWhen motivation comes back after action→Perfectionism and self-esteemWhen your sense of worth depends on performance→DBT and intense emotionsSkills for living with overwhelming emotions→The window of toleranceToo activated, shut down or in your zone→What is EMDR?A therapy for “digesting” difficult memories→BurnoutUnderstanding work-related exhaustion to protect yourself better→The PERMA model: five pillars of well-beingWhat positive psychology says, and how to use it without “forced positivity”→The lifeline: looking at your whole storyWhat research says about life stories, and how to draw your lifeline without hurting yourself→Compassion and self-compassion: treating yourself as you treat those you loveWhat self-compassion is (and isn’t), what research says and how to train it→Limbic brain, cortex and survival: what your emotions are forWhat current neuroscience says about the brain’s alarm, the role of the cortex and the function of emotions→Stress and ways of coping: Lazarus and Folkman’s modelActing on the problem or looking after the emotion: how to choose, according to research→Grief: what research saysNo compulsory stages, a back and forth between loss and life, and when to ask for help→Attachment: understanding our bonds, from childhood to adulthoodWhat research really says, far from the online “style tests”→
Other useful resources
These worksheets do not replace therapy. If you are in distress or having suicidal thoughts, call your local emergency number (112 in Europe; 3114 in France, free, 24/7).
Free worksheet for non-commercial use: you may share it with credit to the author, without modifying it (Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0 licence).
