SMERS: What is it and how to use it

What is SMERS?

SMERS is a Russian-language version of a diary used in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). This tool is designed to systematize and analyze events, thoughts, emotions, and reactions. Using SMERS helps users better understand their experiences and find ways to change negative thinking patterns, which in turn contributes to improved mental health and well-being. The MER system is a valuable resource for those seeking self-awareness and personal growth through effective CBT methods. The acronym MER stands for "Risk Monitoring and Assessment System." This system plays a key role in risk management, enabling organizations to effectively monitor and analyze potential threats. MER systems not only identify risks but also assess their impact on business processes, which facilitates more informed management decisions. Implementing MER systems helps increase an organization's resilience to external and internal challenges. A detailed understanding and correct application of this system can significantly improve strategic planning and operational management.

S — Situation: the event or trigger that caused the reaction.
M — Thought: the automatic thought that arose in response to the situation.
E — Emotion: the feelings that followed the thought.
R — Reactions: bodily sensations and behavioral reactions.

The SMER diary is an effective tool for identifying recurring automatic thoughts. It helps you realize how these thoughts affect your emotions and behavior. Using the diary, you can learn to replace negative automatic thoughts with more constructive and positive attitudes, which contributes to an improvement in your psycho-emotional state and a higher quality of life.

Our brain often functions according to established patterns. For example, when making a mistake, a person may immediately think: "I'm incompetent, I'll get fired." Such thoughts generate anxiety, fear, and a feeling of helplessness. In response, a person may begin to avoid difficult tasks, experience nervous tension, or become overwhelmed in an attempt to prove their worth. Understanding these mechanisms can help overcome negative emotions and develop a more constructive approach to difficulties. Instead of saying, "I'm incompetent," it's better to say, "I made a mistake, but I have the opportunity to correct it and learn from it." This approach helps reduce stress and maintain confidence in one's abilities. The primary function of a journal is to help a person identify, recognize, and critically evaluate their thoughts. Journaling can be compared to decluttering the mind, allowing one to organize ideas and emotions, create space for new perspectives, and reduce stress. This process promotes self-reflection and an improved emotional state, which in turn improves the quality of life. A diary becomes a tool for personal growth, allowing us to better understand our desires and goals.

First, we simply record what is there.
Then we begin to understand which thoughts really help us and which hinder us.
And then we try to change our outlook on situations in order to respond to them more calmly and constructively.

Infographics: Maya Malgina for Skillbox Media

An example of using the SMERS protocol

On my way to work, I noticed that my colleague, with whom I spoke the day before, passes by without saying hello. This situation raises questions about our interactions and may indicate troubles in the relationship. Perhaps he is busy or lost in his own thoughts, but the lack of a greeting creates a feeling of distance. It is important to understand how such moments affect the atmosphere in the team and our interactions with colleagues.

We often think that someone might have been offended by us. We begin to analyze our actions and words, asking ourselves: "Perhaps I did something wrong?" Such thoughts can cause anxiety and worry. It's important to understand that such thoughts are natural, but they can also be the result of a misinterpretation of the situation. To avoid unnecessary stress, it's important to communicate openly and clarify the true causes of misunderstandings. Communication helps relieve tension and improve relationships. It's important not to ignore emotions and strive for understanding and harmony in your interactions with others.

Emotions play a vital role in our lives, and recognizing them can help us understand our own internal states. In this case, I'm experiencing anxiety and sadness. It's recommended to record not only the emotions themselves but also their intensity. For example, anxiety might be rated at 70% or 7 out of 10, while sadness might be rated at 50% or 5 out of 10. This approach allows us to better understand our feelings and track changes in our emotional state, which can contribute to improving our psychoemotional state and quality of life.

A reaction is the body's response to external or internal stimuli. It can manifest itself in various forms, including physical, emotional, or psychological changes. Depending on the situation, the reaction can be immediate or delayed. An important aspect of a reaction is its adaptability, which allows the body to quickly respond to environmental changes. Studying the mechanisms of reactions helps us better understand how the human body functions and copes with various stressors. Understanding reactions also plays a key role in psychology, medicine, and other sciences, allowing us to develop effective strategies for managing stress and improving quality of life.

Physical (how it felt in the body): increased heart rate, tension.
Behavioral (what I did): avoiding a colleague, reducing communication.

More than one application is required to achieve a noticeable effect. Regular action and consistency in approach are key factors for a successful outcome.

The SMER diary is a method for long-term self-improvement. Regular entries help identify recurring thoughts and reactions, which in turn allows you to change negative attitudes over time. Gradually, a person begins to better understand their internal processes, establish connections between events, thoughts, and behavior, and choose healthier ways of responding to life circumstances. This practice promotes personal growth and improved emotional well-being, making the process of self-knowledge more conscious and effective.

Other templates for working with thoughts and emotions

Various types of diaries and protocols are used in cognitive behavioral therapy. Among them are the Russian version of the SMER, the Beck Institute diary, the Ellis ABC model, and the A-B-C-D-E-F protocol from the Ellis Institute. These tools help clients more effectively track their thoughts, emotions, and behavior, which contributes to improved mental health and the development of self-regulation skills. Using such diaries and protocols in therapy allows for a deeper understanding of your reactions and the change of negative thinking patterns, which is a key aspect of the cognitive behavioral approach.

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If you are just beginning the practice of self-observation, it is best to start with a simple format like the SMER: it helps you notice basic connections between events, thoughts, emotions, and behavior.
If you already have experience or want to work deeper into your internal attitudes, you can try more advanced forms, such as the Beck Journal or the Ellis Protocol.

To begin with, we recommend keeping a journal yourself. Regularly recording situations, thoughts, emotions, and reactions will help you better understand yourself. Write everything down without self-criticism, paying attention to recurring patterns. This promotes the development of introspection skills and deepens self-knowledge. This approach will allow you to identify patterns in your behavior and emotional state, which can subsequently help in personal growth and improve the quality of life.

A journal is an effective tool for expressing inner experiences. By writing down your thoughts, you assume the role of an observer, allowing you to evaluate your own actions and emotions from a different perspective. This process fosters a deeper understanding of yourself and allows you to critically reflect on what's happening in your life. Journaling helps you identify patterns in your behavior and thoughts, which can lead to personal growth and improved emotional well-being. Andrey Kamenyukin is an experienced specialist in his field, possessing deep knowledge and skills that allow him to successfully solve complex problems. His professional career includes numerous successful projects, confirming his reputation as a reliable expert. In his work, Andrey is results-oriented and always strives to improve the quality of his services. He actively monitors new trends and technologies, allowing him to implement innovative solutions and adapt to market changes. Andrey Kamenyukin also shares his knowledge with colleagues, which contributes to the development of a professional community and an increase in the overall level of competence in the industry. Discussing the journal with a therapist promotes a deeper understanding of the mechanisms of thought. The therapist plays a key role in this process, helping to identify and analyze thought patterns, emotional reactions, and behavioral patterns. This interaction allows not only for the client to recognize internal conflicts but also to find ways to resolve them. Furthermore, the therapist can offer strategies for improving emotional well-being and enhancing quality of life. Regularly discussing journal entries becomes an important tool in psychotherapy, allowing the client to become more aware of their feelings and thoughts, which in turn promotes personal growth and development.

discover hidden attitudes behind automatic thoughts;
learn to ask yourself the right questions to challenge beliefs;
monitor the dynamics of changes and adjust your work.

Completing a diary between therapy sessions increases its effectiveness. This process promotes deep awareness and allows you to move from superficial rumination to significant changes in thinking, which ultimately influences behavior. Diary entries help document thoughts and feelings, which facilitates their understanding and analysis. This approach helps you better understand your reactions and aspirations, which is an important step towards personal growth and improving the quality of life.

Beck Institute Diary

Aaron Beck is an outstanding psychiatrist and psychotherapist, who is considered one of the founders of cognitive therapy. In 1994, he founded the Beck Institute, which aims to train professionals from around the world in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). The Beck Institute has become an important center for professionals seeking to master effective techniques for treating psychological disorders using CBT.

The Beck Institute diary is an in-depth version of cognitive analysis. This tool includes a stage of adaptation of thinking, during which a person records their automatic thoughts and learns to consciously revise them. In the process of working with the diary, negative thoughts are replaced with more realistic and supportive ones, which helps to improve the emotional state and improve the quality of life. Using a diary allows you to deeper understand your thoughts and feelings, as well as develop self-regulation and critical thinking skills.

This method promotes a more in-depth analysis of the situation, a reduction in negative emotions and the formation of a constructive perception of current events. This allows you to better understand the causes of what is happening and find effective solutions.

The adapted form of the Beck Institute diary has the following structure. This form is designed for the effective recording and analysis of the psycho-emotional state of patients. It includes key elements that help professionals better understand and track changes in mental health. Using this form facilitates more accurate diagnosis and the development of individualized therapeutic approaches.

Questions for Reframing Adaptive and Supportive Thinking. To make automatic thoughts more adaptive, you must first challenge them. Here are some questions to help you reassess the situation:

What is this thought based on? What evidence supports it, and what refutes it?
Can what is happening be explained in some other way?
What is the worst that can happen? What is the best? What is most likely to actually happen?
What will happen if I continue to believe this thought? What will this lead to?
How will my state change if I try to look at the situation differently?
What would I advise a friend if they were in my shoes?

These questions help you avoid staying in habitual reactions and help develop the ability to perceive events with greater calm and flexibility.

Ellis's ABC Model

Albert Ellis is a famous American psychologist and psychotherapist who created rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT). This therapeutic model is based on the ABC concept, which demonstrates that our emotions and behavior are not determined by the events themselves, but depend on our beliefs and interpretations of these events. REBT helps people recognize and change negative beliefs, which leads to improved emotional state and behavioral changes. This technique is actively used in psychotherapy and helps many people cope with anxiety, depression, and other emotional problems.

ABC stands for the following terms:

A (Activating event): the event that caused the reaction.
B (Beliefs): the beliefs through which we interpret this event.
C (Consequences): consequences - that is, the emotions and behavior that arise as a result of our beliefs.

The main goal of working with the ABC model is to identify irrational beliefs, such as "I must always please everyone" or "Mistakes are unacceptable." In the future, these attitudes need to be replaced with more realistic and supportive ones. For this, you can use a more complex A-B-C-D-E-F protocol, which helps to more deeply analyze and change negative thoughts to constructive ones. This approach helps improve psychological health and enhance the quality of life, allowing a person to cope more effectively with difficulties and stress.

Ellis Institute A-B-C-D-E-F Self-Help Protocol

The Albert Ellis Institute has developed an enhanced version of the classic ABC model that helps you not only become aware of automatic reactions and beliefs but also conduct a deep, critical analysis. This model promotes awareness and conscious replacement of negative beliefs, allowing you to more effectively cope with emotional and psychological difficulties. With the expanded version of the ABC model, users can better understand their thoughts and feelings, which in turn leads to improved emotional well-being and quality of life.

First, briefly describe the situation (A) that caused the emotional reaction.
Then, record the automatic beliefs (B) that determined your perception of what was happening.
After that, note the consequences (C) - what emotions, thoughts, bodily sensations, and behavior followed.
The next step is challenging the beliefs (D). Here it is important to ask yourself questions: how objective is this belief? Are there facts for and against? Can the situation be explained differently?
Then formulate a new, more realistic attitude (E).
And record how it changes your emotions and behavior (F).

Infographics: Maya Malgina for Skillbox Media

Example.

Situation (A): My boss didn't recognize my work.
Irrational Belief (B): "If I'm not praised, it means I did a bad job and am worthless."
Consequences (C): Anxiety, frustration, desire to avoid new challenges.
At the Disputing Stage (D), I ask myself: Does lack of praise always mean failure? Perhaps my boss was just busy. My value as a specialist is not limited to other people's reactions.
After this, I formulate a new attitude (E): "I can be proud of my work regardless of external evaluation."
And I notice new emotions and behavior (F): calmness, readiness to take on new tasks without fear.

Who this helps

Keeping a self-analysis diary is an effective method for anxiety-phobic disorders. This approach allows you to better understand your emotions and thoughts, as well as identify the triggers that contribute to the development of anxiety. The diary helps track changes in the state and progress in the process of overcoming fears. In particular, this method can be useful for various anxiety disorders, including panic disorder, social phobia, and specific phobias. Regular journaling promotes self-reflection skills and increases mindfulness, which in turn can lead to reduced anxiety and improved quality of life.

social phobia;
generalized anxiety disorder (GAD);
isolated phobias.

A recent review confirms the value of diary keeping as an effective tool for combating anxiety. Writing down thoughts helps identify and challenge irrational beliefs, which in turn helps reduce anxiety. Diary keeping can be an important part of the therapeutic process, allowing users to better understand their emotions and reactions.

In depressive disorders, diary keeping is an effective tool for identifying negative thinking patterns. By writing down their thoughts and emotions, patients can focus on these negative patterns, which facilitates their subsequent cognitive correction. This statement is supported by a meta-analysis that includes dozens of randomized controlled trials. Journaling not only helps you process your inner experiences but also serves as a foundation for working with a therapist, making it an essential element in depression treatment.

A review of 20 randomized clinical trials demonstrated that journaling practices have a positive impact on mental health. Research findings confirm that regularly recording your thoughts and emotions helps reduce stress and anxiety. Journaling helps people better understand their feelings, which can lead to improved emotional well-being and increased overall life satisfaction. These practices can also be useful in the context of therapy, allowing patients to track their progress and identify triggers for negative emotions. Incorporating diary practices into everyday life can be an effective tool for improving psycho-emotional well-being.

reduce symptoms of depression, anxiety, and PTSD;
increase the subjective sense of well-being.

This is an effective and accessible method for maintaining mental health.

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