The Work of Byron Katie

Updated

The Work is Byron Katie’s four questions for a thought that keeps hurting you. You write down one sentence you believe and put each question to it, one screen at a time. It’s free, and you can start without an account.

Byron Katie came to The Work after ten years of deep depression.

The four questions

  1. Is it true?Answer yes or no. Save the explaining for later.
  2. Can you absolutely know that it’s true?A thought about what somebody else thinks of you is a good one to test here.
  3. How do you react, what happens, 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.
  4. Who would you be without that 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.

Choosing one

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 people ask

What are the four questions of The Work?

In Byron Katie’s words: Is it true? Can you absolutely know that it’s true? How do you react, what happens, when you believe that thought? Who would you be without that thought?

What is the turnaround in The Work?

It’s the step Byron Katie adds after the four questions. You turn the thought around to yourself, to the other person and to its opposite.

Then you find three real examples of how each turnaround is true for you. Our workspace stops at the four questions, and Katie’s own site takes you through the turnaround for free.

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.

Where to go next

On paper