The four questions Byron Katie asks of a thought
The Work is Byron Katie’s four questions for a thought that keeps hurting you. Here’s how to pick the thought and work through each question.
Byron Katie came to The Work after ten years of deep depression. Her idea is that we suffer when we believe a stressful thought, and that a thought can be questioned.
You write down one sentence you believe and put each question to it in turn.
The four questions
- Is it true?Answer yes or no. Save the explaining for later.
- Can you know that it is true, for certain?A thought about what somebody else thinks of you is a good one to test here.
- How do you react when you believe that thought?Write down what happens in your body when you believe it, what you do next and how you treat the people around you.
- Who would you be without the thought?Keep the situation exactly as it is. Picture the same room on the same day with the sentence gone from your head, and write down what you’d do.
How to pick the thought
Pick a sentence that comes back often in the same words, about a person or a situation. "I am anxious" describes a mood. "She thinks I am not up to this" is a thought you can question.
Too vague: "Everything is going wrong."
Workable: "My boss has decided I am not going to make it here."
The second one makes a claim that question two can test.
Take your time over each answer
Sit with each answer before you move on. Questions two and four take the longest, and question two can feel uncomfortable for a while.
What question four gives you
The answer to question four is often something you’d do. You might send the email you’ve been putting off, ask your boss the question, or go to bed and sleep. Write it down as your next step.
When to see a therapist
The Work is for looking at one thought. If you’re struggling with your mental health, talk to your GP or a therapist.
Questions
What are the four questions of The Work?
Is it true? Can you know that it is true, for certain? How do you react when you believe that thought? Who would you be without the thought?
Is The Work the same as positive thinking?
No. You keep the thought as it is and question it. Nobody asks you to swap it for a nicer one.
Is there a worksheet for The Work?
Our workspace asks the four questions one at a time, with room to write under each. It saves in your browser.