Write about the ABCD's of what you're experiencing (From Learned Optimism by Martin Seligman):

Adversity: What adversity are you experiencing right now?

What's going on at the moment? Write about everything troubling you. Did you fail a test? Get pulled over for speeding? Lose your job?

Beliefs: What beliefs do you have about the adversity?

What do you believe these events mean about yourself, the future, other people, and the world around you? Notice the three 3 P's:

• Personal- do I believe that this has something to do with a flaw in my personality?

• Permanent- am I stuck thinking that this situation is going to last forever?

• Pervasive- is my thinking skewing toward catastrophizing and making it seem like all parts of life are bad? 

Consequences: How are these beliefs affecting you?

What are your thoughts on this adversity doing to you emotionally, mentally, and physically?

How are they governing your life (unintentionally)?

Disputation: Use truth to dispute your negative beliefs by asking what’s actually true in this situation?

Again look at the 3 P's:

• What is true about yourself? Are you doing better than you think? What evidence do you have for the good and against the bad?

• Is this situation actually permanent, or will it end at some point? Again, look for evidence to see the situation objectively.

• Does what you’re experiencing mean that everything in your life is failing? What’s still going well regardless of how this turns out? As before, search for evidence.

When you're done, pay attention to how much better you feel.

I’ve been doing this for years now and it never fails to help me get through difficult times.