Here are some examples of the CBT IDSRAW tools I developed, as shown in this post. There are two main approaches:
Approach one: Use all IDSRAW tools in order on one thought.
Approach two: Use the tools with no direction in mind, just to see where the thinking ends up (my favourite).
Approach one: Use all the IDSRAW tools on one thought.
The thought I choose to work with is the general, negative thought:
I'll be ill this winter.
Running through each of the IDSRAW (Intuitive, Double letter, Substitute, Reinterpret, Array, and What if I told you...) tools in turn gives:
Intuitive (negative thought about I'll be ill this winter) : I'll be a burden on my family.
Double Letter: (from I'll be ill this winter) L: Lethargic. N: Nuisance.
(Both can be expanded into longer thoughts. Lethargic could be: I'll feel lethargic for a long time. Nuisance could be I will lose a lot of time.)
Switch: (With I'll be ill this winter shortened to ill winter):
Ill winter
Ill family
Ill season.
Ill inevitably
and
Winter hassle
Winter bugs
Winter woe
Reinterpret: (ill winter) made into a question could be:
Will you definitely be ill this winter?
or
What sort of illnesses could you expect this winter?
Array of Positives and Negatives.
The Array chosen is +-+-++
Positive (on I'll be ill this winter): My family can support me.
Negative (on My family can support me): They could get ill too.
Positive (on They could get ill too): They probably would get it later than me; I'll be able to look after them.
Negative (on Looking after them): It might be very stressful if everyone is ill at once.
Positive (on It will be stressful if everyone gets ill at once): We will come out of it together at the same time and be positive about the future.
Positive (on Being positive about the future): We'll have lots to look forward to.
What if I told you....
The INCH tools of WIITY applied to I'll be ill this winter give:
What if I told you...In fact...You won't be ill if you get a flu jab.
What if I told you...No!...You may all get through winter without any illness.
What if I told you...It could be worse...You could be cold and alone.
What if I told you...How to make yourself 200% ill?
How to make myself 200% ill? Answer: Drink red wine when I'm ill so I get a migraine too. (Obviously a bad idea but sometimes the 200% thought experiments can lead to good ideas or thoughts to pursue.)
What if I told you...How to make yourself 50% ill?
How would I make myself 50% ill? Answers: Have a flu jab. Be prepared - make sure things like the hot-water bottle are left in a sensible place so I'm not searching for it in the middle of the night while feeling awful. Keep exercising. Have a bottle of water by the bed so I can drink without leaving bed.
****
At the end of this run-through of IDSRAW I've got a lot of thoughts on paper. I may have uncovered other things I'm worried about (such as having a flu jab) and I can use the IDSRAW tools to focus on that in its own right. Or, I can find something relevant to the initial main issue - I'll be ill this winter - and explore those thoughts.
Approach two: Use a dice to pick each IDSRAW option and see where the thinking ends up
With approach two I use a dice to pick which of the IDSRAW tools I'll use. The neutral topic (no negativity or positivity (yet)) I'll start with is:
My clothes.
The dice falls on 1, which is Intuitive:
Intuitive (Negative-ish): I need to go through my clothes and throw out the old ones.
Next the dice falls on 5, which is Positive and Negative Array. The array I create is -++-+
- (Negative thought on I need to go through my clothes): There is so much to do.
+ (Positive thought on There is so much to do): Once I've gone through them it won't need doing again for a couple of years.
+ (Positive thought on It'll be done for a couple of years): It'll be a weight off my mind and I'll be free to pursue other things.
- (Negative thought on I'll be free to pursue other things): I'll realise there are a few others nasty jobs that need doing.
+ (Positive thought on There are other nasty jobs): I'll get better at doing nasty jobs and I'll get a sense of achievement.
The dice next falls on 2, which is Double Letter.
I'll pick the sentence I'll be free to pursue other things from above and highlight two letters: I'll be free to pursue other things - the S and the H. The S and H trigger relevant thoughts:
Study, health
I expand on Study and Health:
Study: I could have more time to study.
and
Health: I need to focus on my health and fitness more.
Next the dice falls on 6, which is What if I told you?...I'll pick the I need to focus on my health and fitness more thought from the two thoughts just generated:
(I need to focus on my health and fitness more) What if I told you...in fact...You are already fairly fit because you are active.
Next the dice rolls 1, which is Intuitive:
Intuitive (on being fit already): I'm not as fit as I was before I tore a cartilage.
Next dice rolls 6, which is What if I told you?...
What if I told you...It could be worse...Your leg could be as bad as it was when the cartilage first tore and then you'd be immobile.
Then the dice rolls 1, Intuitive:
I could research some new exercises.
Next the dice rolls 6, What if I told you?...
What if I told you...How could you 200% research exercises?
Maybe: Talk to someone at the gym and see if they have expertise on exercises that won't damage my legs.
The dice next rolls 3, which is Switch. I simplify the sentence Talk to someone at the gym and see if they have expertise on exercises that won't damage my legs into two words: Gym talk, then switch words:
Gym join
Gym cost
Gym endorphins
and
Fitness talk
Physio talk
Progress talk
The dice then rolls 2, which is Double Letter. From the word pairs above I pick Gym cost. Then I pick G and C from Gym cost. and think of the words:
Group
and
Cool.
Group (Expanding this into a positive idea suggests maybe if I formed a group of people with similar knee problems we could get a discount at a gym).
Cool (Leads to this negative thought about "cooling off": What happens if I sign up for membership but then injure my leg?)
Next the dice shows 2, which is Double Letter again. From Maybe a group with similar knee problems could get a discount I pick the letters P and L.
I'll lean towards a positive for P: Pals. Expanded into a thought reads: I might meet some new people.
I go negative for L: List. Expanded to a thought reads: How would I make a list? How would I find people with a similar injury who might be interested in gym membership?)
The dice then rolls 1, Intuitive. I'll go for a positive thought:
Among my local family and friends I might be surprised to find enough people who have injuries and would be interested in gym membership as a group.
The dice next rolls 4, which is Reinterpret. I change the sentence Among my local family and friends I might be surprised to find enough people who have injuries and would be interested in gym membership to the more manageable two words of Friends group.
Converted to a question could read: Are there already groups of gym members in your area with injuries?
Converted to an order reads: Start work on forming a gym group now.
