MPI
Anxiety → Action Skill #34

What Else Is True?

A helpful way to challenge scary thoughts by looking for other possible outcomes or reasons.
What Else Is True?

Key ideas

Skill summary

Three quick reminders before you start.

DO
For your main worry, come up with two other possible explanations or outcomes.
WHY
Considering multiple possibilities softens the certainty of fear-based thinking.
LEVEL UP
Choose the most helpful or likely explanation and take one small action based on it.

Overview

Ever feel like your brain is stuck on the worst possible outcome? This technique is about hitting the pause button on that scary story. Instead of believing the first thing your mind tells you, you challenge yourself to find two other ways a situation might go or two other reasons why something happened.

It helps you see that while your worry might be one possibility, it is rarely the only one. By looking for more than one truth, you can help yourself feel more balanced and less stuck in fear.

How Your Brain Works

Your brain uses two main parts to manage your feelings and your ability to think clearly.

Amygdala

The Guard Dog

The alarm system. Reacts to stress with fight-or-flight responses.

Prefrontal Cortex

The Wise Owl

Logic and calm decision-making, best accessed when the alarm quiets down.

The Alarm System

  • Your brain has a special part called the Guard Dog (Amygdala) that stays on the lookout for danger. When it thinks something bad is happening, it starts barking loud. This makes you feel anxious and can make it hard to see anything but the scary stuff. It is like your brain is stuck in a loud, certainty based mode where only the danger feels real.

The Thinking Centre

  • Luckily, you also have the Wise Owl (Prefrontal Cortex). This is the part of your brain that handles logic, problem solving, and seeing different perspectives. The Wise Owl is like the calm leader who can look at the facts and help the Guard Dog settle down by providing more information.

Strengthening the Connection

  • When you use this technique, you are building a bridge between the Owl and the Dog. By asking "What else is true?", you are giving the Wise Owl a job to do. This forces the thinking part of your brain to come online and look for evidence. This helps quiet the barking and makes your brain more flexible. Over time, this makes your mental connection stronger, so you can handle stressful thoughts with more ease and behaviour control.

How to Use This Skill

Think of yourself as a detective looking for new clues to solve a mystery in your own mind.

1

Identify the Main Worry

Notice you are thinking, "Everyone hates me because they didn't text back." This labels the thought.

2

Find Two Other Truths

Say, "Maybe they are busy with homework," or "Maybe their phone is dead." This shows other options.

Real-Life Example

The Silent Group Chat

The Silence

Alex sends a message to the group for a big project, but nobody replies for the whole evening.

The Guard Dog Thought

They are ignoring me on purpose. I am going to fail this project and ruin my grade.

The Breakdown

  1. Catch it: Alex realizes their heart is racing and they are stuck on one scary thought.
  2. The Question: Alex asks, "What else is true?"
  3. New Truth 1: "It is a busy Tuesday night, so they might be at sports or having dinner."
  4. New Truth 2: "They might be waiting to get all their research done before they reply to the group."

By finding other truths, the Wise Owl calmed the Guard Dog. Alex felt less panic and decided to work on a draft solo.

Practice Tips

  • You can make this skill even stronger with these simple habits
  • Write it down

    Keep a list of facts that support your new truths to help the Wise Owl feel more confident.

  • Start small

    Practice on small worries, like a late bus, to build your brain's strength for bigger stuff.

  • Set a timer

    Give yourself two minutes to brainstorm so you stay focused without getting tired out.

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