In this article, you will learn what cognitive behavior therapy is, why you should use it, and how to do it.
The conversations you have with yourself have a direct impact on how you feel and how you behave. If your “self-talk” is full of doubts, harsh criticism and catastrophic predictions; You will have trouble reaching your goals.
But you don’t have to let a pessimistic outlook or foreboding inner monologue hold you back. You can train your brain to think differently.
In fact, training your brain to think differently; it physically changes the brain.
That’s why many therapists use cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) to help people create lasting change.
What is cognitive behavior therapy.
The cognitive behavior therapy it is a mental health treatment that is widely studied. Therapists who use this method help people change unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns that keep them stuck.
Cognitive behavior therapy isn’t just a quick treatment that temporarily masks underlying problems. Studies consistently show that cognitive behavior therapy creates physical changes in the brain.
Neuroimaging shows that cognitive behavior therapy modifies the neural circuits involved in the regulation of negative emotions. Furthermore, studies consistently show that CBT can change nervous system dysfunctions.
A study published in Translational Psychiatry used MRIs to examine brain changes in people with schizophrenia.
After six months of treatment, there was more neural connectivity between the amygdala (which manages emotion in the brain) and the prefrontal cortex (which governs higher-order thinking). The changes were lasting.
Another study found that after just nine weeks of cognitive behavior therapy, people with social anxiety disorder showed decreased brain volume and activity in their amygdala; the ones that helped them keep their anxiety at bay.
It may also interest you: 13 strategies to combat anxiety.
Researchers have also found that CBT “rewires” the brain in people with depression as well as post-traumatic stress disorder.
So what kinds of CBT skills do therapists teach? Here are three ways to train your brain to think differently:
How to do cognitive behavior therapy.
1. Rephrase your unhelpful thoughts.
Thinking things like: “This will never work”, or “I’m an idiot, I just ruined everything”; It is not useful.
Negative predictions tend to become self-fulfilling prophecies. And overly negative thoughts prevent you from taking positive action.
But the good news is that you can respond to unhelpful thoughts with more realistic statements. When you think, “Nothing is going to work,” remember, “If I keep working hard, I will increase my chances of success.”
Or, when you think, “This is going to be a disaster,” look for evidence that your efforts can be successful.
Then, create a more balanced statement like: “There’s a chance this won’t work out, but there’s also a chance it could succeed. All I can do is the best.”
2. Prove yourself wrong.
Your brain lies to you sometimes. So when he tells you that you can’t get a promotion or that you’ll never be able to lose 20 pounds; see it as a challenge.
Push yourself to go one step further after you think you’re too exhausted to keep going.
Every time you prove your negative predictions wrong, you will train your brain to see things differently.
Over time, your brain will begin to see your limitations as well as your capabilities; in a more precise way.
3. Create a personal mantra.
Take stock of your negative thought patterns. Do you call yourself by nicknames? Or do you talk to yourself about doing things that you could fail at?
Then develop a personal mantra that you can use to talk about the negative messages. Repeat things like: “Make it happen” or “Do your best”, to “positively tune in” to the negativity.
Over time, the harmful statements will decrease.
Conclusion.
Like any new skill, cognitive behavior therapy to think differently takes time. But the more you practice thinking realistically, the more mental muscle you’ll build.
Also, your brain may undergo physical changes that will help you think differently.
We hope this information will be very useful for you 🙂
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