The two column tool is something that I use a lot in my work. It’s helpful for anger, guilt, and shame. It also helps shed light on ‘stuck’ problems. Luckily, it’s really really simple to learn and use.

Take a piece of paper and draw a line down the middle. You now have two columns. On the top of the left column write ‘should/because’. At the top of the right column write ‘why’.

Choose something that you feel angry about, guilty, or stuck.

1- Write a ‘should/because’ statement. (“He should not have cut me in line because it’s rude”).

2- Stop and ask yourself, “Why? Why then did that happen?”. Write the answer to that question in the right column. (“He’s an idiot”).

3- Check. Do I still feel guilty or angry or stuck? If the answer is ‘no’, go to 4.

If it’s ‘yes’ (which is far more common), loop back to 1 and write the new should/because. (“He should learn not to be an idiot because it’s the right thing to do”).

4- Write out all the answers in the right column in one sentence across the bottom of the page.

Here is an example so you can see how simple it all is.

It’s hard to believe something so simple is so powerful. So don’t take my word for it. Rather try it out, see how it goes for you, and let me know in the comments!

Yisrael can be reached through www.escapeyouranxiety.com or at (732) 806-1697