What Is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy? How Does CBT Work?

CBT Exercises

While CBT does require that you meet with a licensed therapist regularly, you can follow a few tips to improve your mental health on your own. Let’s take a look at five that you can begin immediately. (7)

Participate in Active Problem Solving

Make the best of an uncomfortable situation by taking specific actions. Taking charge of your life can help give you a sense of control and make you more resilient to situations such as illness, unemployment, or losing someone you love.

Solution steps:

- - Determining your problem orientation – your viewpoint, your attitude toward the problem.
  - Describe your problem(s) in a concrete and clear manner.
  - Brainstorm potential solutions and evaluate them.
  - Using your previous steps as a guide, take the appropriate action.

Reformulate Your Thoughts

Negative thought patterns should be disrupted before they result in negative behavior. In the case of depression, for example, you may find yourself in a vicious circle of unhealthy emotions, harmful thoughts, and destructive behavior patterns.

It’s time to break this feedback loop. Stop ruminating about things in your head. Don’t take anything at face value. Think about what you are thinking and realize that the thoughts are just thoughts. As a result, you will be able to stop negative thinking patterns and make an effort to alter them.

Steps to restructure thoughts:

- - During the day, create a thought journal to record your thoughts, feelings, and various points.
  - Record automatic thoughts (those that serve as a running commentary on our experiences).
  - List all emotions associated with those thoughts, and score the intensity from 0-100 (there are usually more than one emotion, and no emotion is equally intense).
  - Take notes on how you felt about the experience.

Make Your Tasks More Manageable by Breaking Them Up into Smaller Steps

Approach challenging and seemingly overwhelming tasks by breaking them down into smaller steps. Small victories along the way will allow you to make considerable progress overlooking the issue as one large looming task. It’s like a snowball effect once you get started — you’ll be surprised by the progress you make.

Develop A New Activity Schedule

Take part in behaviors or activities you would not ordinarily do. Slowly increase the frequency with which you perform your new behavior/activity. As a result, you may be able to break out of your shell and take on new responsibilities, which could be beneficial for your whole well-being. Basically, anything that involves new activities and responsibilities such as taking up a new hobby, joining a fitness class, volunteering your time, etc.

Practice Relaxation Breathing and Mindful Meditation

Regularly meditate. You can disengage from destructive and obsessive thoughts by connecting to the present moment with mindful meditation. It silently allows you to reflect on your senses, feelings, and thoughts all in the current moment without judging them. Be aware of your thinking but don’t force it. You will undoubtedly have thoughts, so let them disappear and focus on the present.

References

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