“The Work,” as Katie calls it, is a simple yet powerful process of inquiry that teaches you to identify and question thoughts that cause all suffering.
Meet your thoughts with understanding; you take control, not your thoughts.
Byron Katie is an American speaker and author known for her method of self-inquiry, The Work of Byron Katie. This method aims to help individuals challenge their stressful thoughts and achieve greater peace and clarity. Katie’s approach is based on the idea that our suffering results from believing our thoughts—particularly the negative and limiting ones—and that by questioning these thoughts, we can free ourselves from pain and find peace in the present moment.
The Four Questions of The Work
The Work is a simple yet powerful process that involves four questions and a “turnaround” exercise. The four questions help individuals examine their beliefs and recognise whether they are true. The goal is to help people shift from rigid, limiting beliefs to a more open, compassionate perspective. The process is as follows:
Is it true? The first question asks whether your thoughts or beliefs are true. Often, we believe things about ourselves, others, or situations that are not based on reality. This question invites you to consider whether the thought is true or simply something you choose to believe.
Can you absolutely know that it’s true? This question takes it further, asking if you can be 100% certain that the belief is true. It invites you to challenge your assumptions and consider whether your belief is absolute or if there’s room for doubt. The goal is to help you see that there might be alternative perspectives or interpretations of the situation.
How do you react, what happens, when you believe that thought? The third question prompts you to reflect on the emotional and behavioural consequences of holding the belief. What happens to your mood, actions, and relationships when you believe this thought? This helps you see the impact of the belief on your life and can serve as motivation to let go of it.
Who would you be without the thought? This question invites you to imagine who you would be if you could let go of the belief entirely. How would your life be different if you no longer believed that thought? This helps you envision a life with less stress and more freedom.
Benefits of The Work
- Greater peace of mind: By questioning stressful thoughts, individuals can experience less mental turmoil and emotional distress.
- Improved relationships: The Work can help individuals let go of judgments and expectations that create conflict.
- Increased self-awareness: The process encourages deep self-reflection and self-awareness, allowing individuals to better understand their beliefs and how they shape their lives.
- Freedom from past conditioning: By questioning inherited or learned beliefs, The Work helps people release patterns of thinking that limit their potential and happiness.
People who do “The Work” as an ongoing practice commonly report:
Alleviation of Depression
Find resolution, even happiness, in once debilitating situations.
Decreased Stress
Learn how to live with less anxiety or fear.
Improved Relationships
Experience a deeper connection and intimacy with your partner, parents, friends, children, and yourself.
Reduce Anger
Understand what makes you angry and resentful, and become less reactive, less often, with less intensity.
Increase Mental Clarity
Live and work more intelligently and effectively, with integrity.
More Energy
Experience a sense of ongoing vigour and well-being.
More peace
“I discovered that when I believed my thoughts, I suffered, but when I didn’t believe them, I didn’t suffer, and that this is true for every human being. Freedom is as simple as that. I found that suffering is optional. I found a joy within me that never disappeared, not for a moment. That joy is in everyone always” – Byron Katie
Learn how to do ‘The Work’ and discover:
- How to take control of your life
- How to say No and to stay in integrity with yourself
- How to be a more relaxed parent, partner or human being
- How to live without stress, anxiety or depression
The Work
