Clearer decision-making around change is supported by a simple CBT costs and benefits exercise that helps people weigh short-term discomfort against longer-term gains. It is a printable change worksheet for adults working on avoidance, motivation, habits, anxiety, low mood or personal goals.
In CBT sessions, coaching work or reflective self-help at home, the sheet gives adults a straightforward way to map out what change may cost them and what it may make possible. It is especially relevant when someone feels stuck, ambivalent, avoidant or unsure whether the effort of change is worth it.
The page is structured as a two-column balance sheet with clear headings for Costs and Benefits. The instructions ask the user to identify short-term difficulties, personal challenges and avoidance behaviours they are prepared to let go of or tolerate, then set these against the advantages and opportunities that could come from committing to change.
People looking for a CBT change worksheet, decisional balance sheet, motivation exercise, behaviour change tool or costs and benefits analysis may find the format familiar and easy to print. It can be used before goal setting, during therapy homework, in wellbeing support, or as part of relapse prevention planning.
The practical value is in making the trade-off visible rather than leaving it vague. Clients, supervisees or individuals can write down the discomforts they expect, such as facing feared situations or reducing avoidance, alongside likely benefits such as progress, confidence, improved relationships or greater choice. Think CBT is named on the exercise.
