How to be your therapist with CBT: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy 

First things first!

What is CBT?

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a talking therapy that can help you manage your problems by changing the way you think and behave. It’s a very active, or I may say; a proactive way of dealing with your life issues.

CBT is about more than identifying thought patterns; it is focused on using a wide range of strategies to help people overcome these thoughts. Techniques may include journaling, role-playing, relaxation techniques, and mental distractions. https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-cognitive-behavior-therapy-2795747

The reason why I am so inclined towards CBT is that you don’t need any therapist for this. And, you could be your therapist as a matter of fact at times with CBT.

I think it’s good not to have anyone at your service all the time to deal with your issues. Be self-sufficient and learn how to work things out in your interest your way by yourself.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is kind of an empowering way of viewing your life when life seems spiraling and not worthy enough to live in.

All the talks that I involve in to perform CBT are very much about what is going on in my life and what is specifically bothering me to do something about it.

It would lead you to perceive the situation in a much better manner than how you were perceiving it earlier when you felt discomfort with the very situation. Because, CBT is hopefully to change your thoughts, approach,  vision to have a better experience of your life.

Practice CBT with these 4 steps

#1. How do you know when you need therapy?

The very first thing I want to address is how do you know when you need this therapy, or any sort of help or a mindful approach to life.

It may be either:
– when you feel extremely low from quite a long amount of time, or
– when you had a bad experience, or
– when you feel like saying that you are depressed, or
– when you sense that unhappy mode of yours.

These are some of the times when I feel, okay I need to intervene here because things are not okay. And, I need help, therapy, positive self-talk, a CBT.

#2. Recognize your negative reactions to words things in your life.

Despite knowing all the reasons from the first step that when it calls for therapy. Unfortunately, there is one such situation which doesn’t seem a problem even.

As, in when you feel something to be; by the way, obvious, or natural thing to happen but in reality, it’s the catch, it’s a sign or an intuition for you to reflect upon.

And, that situation is when you have unreasonable reactions to things that are happening to you.

For example;
If there is a situation or you are having a conversation with someone or something happens to you, and you give an overreaction by being extremely triggered, extremely vulnerable, extremely scared, or extremely insecure.

As in if something unpleasant happens to be is a small action but it triggers a huge by proportion in you.

When I experienced my overreaction towards my life I have realized that I have been carrying something like past baggage that has not been dealt with yet. And, is the root cause of my overreactions, my negative reactions towards situations happening to me.

#3. Re-evaluate your assumptions

Once you have dealt with all the situations where you had consciously contributed to making your life uncomfortable to live in.

It’s time to reflect upon your unconscious reactions which trouble you with dealing with your situations. And, that unconscious reaction is assumptions.

I think it’s so good once in a while, or as often as you can to re-evaluate your assumptions.

By doing so, by re-evaluating your assumptions you would learn to deal with the issues in your life as they are in their authentic way when you would not overthink when you would start accepting situations as they are instead of being over-optimistic, or feeling self-pity.

One thing which is very crucial to learn is that ‘excess of everything is bad. Even if your intent is right you can’t justify the situation if your reaction towards the situation in your life is over the top.

And, one more thing which is a matter of concern is that we are more often into the process of learning. And, therefore we forget that we need to maintain a balance between learning and unlearning for which we need to reflect upon our existing assumptions, presumptions, and beliefs.

By re-evaluating your situations you would treat them while they are revising instead of letting them accumulate.

#4. Make mental hygiene a habit

The last step towards your restoration is mental hygiene. You may have routines about cleansing your face, detoxing your body. But, what about your mind, mental health.

For cleaning your mind you need proper mental hygiene kinda thing either in your to-do list or a special time in a day sheerly dedicated to your mental hygiene.

To have mental hygiene make sure you address, issues that are deep-sealed in your mind for which you tend to have a therapist or any kind of external help when you feel like self-help is not sufficient.

It is important to be conscious about mental hygiene is that every one of us is carrying some past baggage, from our childhood. And, as we grow things happen all the time like disheartening, conversations, elections, failures, and heartbreaks which tend to accumulate every single day.

And, unfortunately, the accumulation of such situations has the potential to, subconsciously build a narrative in your mind that could be demeaning for the life you are about to lead and it would even have dire consequences on your mental health.

If you want to get rid of such narratives like, I am not good enough or I am not worthy enough that’s why all these unpleasant situations are happening to me you need to start thinking about your mental hygiene from this very moment.

Those were the 4 steps to how you could perform CBT to be your therapist.

As I always say, do what works for you. But, start exploring yourself today to reach out to new levels as soon as possible.