Is it possible to control our thoughts? And why is it important to learn to do so?
Learning how to control your mind and thoughts is crucial for building a sense of serenity with yourself and your life.
But with so many thoughts that come up, and most of them being negative, it can sometimes feel like an uphill climb to control our thoughts.
This is where Cognitive Behavioral Therapy comes in.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy focuses on changing the automatic negative thoughts that we have.
These thoughts are what usually contribute to and worsen our depression and anxiety.
Understanding how to control your mind begins with realizing that you are in full control of your state.
CBT, which stands for Cognitive Behavior Therapy, "assumes that cognitive, emotional, and behavioral variables are functionally interrelated (1)."
It is a treatment approach that helps you recognize negative or unhelpful thought and behavior patterns. (Source: American Psychological Association)
Simply put:
- The way that we think influences the way we feel.
- The way we feel influences the way we act.
- And the way we act reinforces the thoughts that we have.
- The goal of CBT is to change the way we frame our thoughts, to learn to "recognize one's distortions in thinking that are creating problems, and then to reevaluate them in the light of reality" (2).
Through CBT, these thoughts are identified, challenged, and replaced with more objective, realistic thoughts.
In the anxious or depressed mind, a thought becomes a statement of some deeper truth, a thread that leads us down the well-trodden tunnel of overthinking that triggers all sorts of physical symptoms and can compromise our daily lives. But a thought is just a thought. It is not necessarily true or factual and doesn't inherently hold any value beyond what we ascribe to it.
Sources:
1. American Psychological Association
2. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Los Angeles
For more helpful tips to improve your mental health and well-being, feel free to reach out and speak with our mental health coaches and licensed therapists.
We share free resources on tips for dealing with stress, anxiety, and irrational thoughts in our blog. Additionally, we share tips and tools to help you maintain your mental health.
To check them out, click this link to read more helpful articles.
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Our goal is to make mental healthcare accessible to all regardless of insurance coverage or zip code.
We believe that people who struggle with these conditions already go through enough. No one needs the extra challenge of facing off with our complex healthcare system.
