Bay Area CBT Center · Worksheet

Trigger Log

A trigger log slows down the moment between something happening and you reacting to it. When you write out the chain — trigger, thoughts, feelings, sensations, urges, schema, behavior, outcome — the pattern becomes visible instead of automatic. Over a few weeks, you start to see the same handful of loops repeating.

How to use this

Fill one entry per triggering moment, as close to the event as you can.
Write what actually happened, not what you think should have happened. There are no wrong answers here.
Keep it short. Two or three lines per box is enough.
Print it, save it as a PDF, or email a copy to yourself when you’re done.

Version:

Entry 1

Date

The trigger

What happened, right before everything shifted? Stick to the facts a camera would have caught — who said or did what, where, when. Not your interpretation of it yet. Triggers are often small: a short text back, a tone of voice, being left out of something, an email from your boss, silence.

Thoughts

What went through your mind? Write the actual sentences, in your own words — “she doesn’t care,” “I always ruin this,” “he’s going to leave.” These often arrive so fast they feel like facts rather than thoughts.

Feelings

Name the emotions, not the story about them. Hurt, ashamed, scared, angry, lonely, numb, panicky. More than one at once is normal. If it helps, rate the intensity 0–10.

Body sensations

What did you notice physically? Tight chest, heat in the face, stomach drop, clenched jaw, shallow breath, heavy limbs, going blank. The body usually registers a trigger before the mind explains it.

Urges

What did you feel pulled to do — whether or not you did it? Text back immediately, withdraw, explain yourself, check their phone, cancel, snap, apologize, go quiet, drink, scroll. An urge is a pull, not an action.

Schema triggered

Which old lens did this moment click into? A schema is a belief about yourself and others built long before this situation — when it fires, you’re partly reacting to something older. Pick the closest one, then note what it felt like it was saying and whether the moment felt familiar.

Behavior — what did you actually do?

What you did, out loud and in the world. I sent four texts. I said nothing and left the room. I picked a fight. I apologized for something that wasn’t mine. I worked until 1am. Be honest and non-judgmental — this box is data, not a verdict on you.

Outcome — what happened next?

What did the behavior actually get you, short-term and longer-term? Did you feel better or worse afterward? Closer to the other person or further away? Did it move you toward the kind of person you want to be, or away from it? Relief in the moment and cost later is a very common answer — and worth noticing.

Your privacy. Everything you type stays in your own browser. Nothing is sent to Bay Area CBT Center and nothing is stored on our servers. Your entries are saved on this device only, so you can come back and finish later — use Clear all to erase them. If you email yourself a copy, that email travels through your own mail provider. This worksheet is an educational tool and is not therapy, a diagnosis, or a substitute for care.