Definition: Emotional reasoning occurs when you assume that your internal emotional experience reflects objective reality. In other words, if you feel something strongly, you conclude that it must be true—even if the facts don’t support that conclusion.

How It Works: This distortion bypasses logical analysis. For example, feeling anxious about an upcoming meeting might lead you to believe that you will perform poorly, even though there is no concrete evidence to support that fear.

Why It Matters: Relying on emotional reasoning can reinforce negative thought patterns, hinder problem solving, and contribute to anxiety, depression, and other mental health challenges.

• Overgeneralizing: Concluding that one negative feeling defines your entire experience.
• Catastrophizing: Believing that feeling anxious means disaster is imminent.
• Self-Doubt: Interpreting emotions as evidence of personal inadequacy.
• Impulsive Decisions: Reacting to emotions without considering objective facts.

When emotional reasoning dominates your thought process, it can:

• Intensify feelings of anxiety and depression
• Undermine self-confidence by validating negative self-views
• Lead to impulsive or avoidant behaviors based on unfounded fears

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) offers a variety of strategies to combat emotional reasoning:

• Mindfulness: Practice observing your emotions as they arise without immediately accepting them as facts.
• Wise Mind Integration: Balance emotional impulses with rational thought by engaging your Wise Mind.
• Check the Facts: Question whether your feelings accurately reflect objective evidence.
• Opposite Action: When emotions drive you toward harmful behaviors, deliberately choose actions that contradict these impulses.
• Validation: Acknowledge your emotions without letting them dictate your interpretation of reality.

Try these exercises to challenge and reframe emotional reasoning:

1. Thought Log: Record instances when you notice strong emotions. Describe the emotion, the situation, and then list objective facts that support or refute your initial feeling.
2. Mindfulness Meditation: Dedicate time to mindfulness practices that help you observe your feelings without judgment.
3. Wise Mind Reflection: After a strong emotional reaction, pause and reflect on both the emotional and logical aspects of the event before making a decision.

Emotional reasoning can skew your perception and lead to unhelpful patterns of thought. By incorporating DBT techniques—such as mindfulness, Wise Mind integration, and fact-checking—you can learn to separate feelings from facts. Remember, change takes practice and time; be patient and revisit these strategies regularly to cultivate a more balanced outlook.