Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Mindfulness

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a type of mental health treatment based on the idea that unhelpful ways of thinking and unhelpful learned behaviors contribute to our mental suffering. CBT is highly effective at treating a range of conditions, including depression and anxiety disorders, and helps individuals change both their thinking patterns and behavioral patterns to cope better with challenges and improve their mental health.

A core component of CBT is learning to recognize and shift problematic thinking patterns, often referred to as cognitive distortions. Examples include assuming the worst possible outcome, magnifying negatives, minimizing positives, or underestimating one’s abilities. Through CBT, individuals work toward adopting a more balanced and realistic perspective.

CBT also addresses unhelpful learned behaviors. Many people cope with stress by avoiding difficulties, which often reinforces anxiety and distress. Some people have negative coping skills, which can worsen or create new stressors. CBT encourages more adaptive actions, such as facing stressors directly, developing coping strategies, and learning skills to self‑soothe and calm the body.

These principles are represented in the CBT triangle, which illustrates the relationship between thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.

  • Thoughts are how you interpret a situation or event.

  • Emotions are feelings such as happiness, anger, or sadness. Because they are accompanied by sensations in our bodies (e.g., tension, heaviness, warmth, etc.), they are called feelings. Our thoughts and behaviors influence our emotions.

  • Behaviors are actions we take (e.g., the things we do or say). They are influenced by our thoughts and emotions.

Mindfulness is bringing awareness to our moment-to-moment experience with openness and without judgment. Mindfulness helps us see the ever-shifting nature of our thoughts and emotions and take a step back from patterns that make us feel worse.

Meditation practices, such as focusing attention on the breath or bodily sensations, can help individuals calm and self‑soothe during difficult experiences. These skills support mental wellness and can complement CBT by strengthening awareness, emotional regulation, and resilience.

Building a Healthy Mind with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a form of psychological treatment that is based on the principle that, at least in part, our mental suffering is due to unhelpful ways of thinking and unhelpful learned behaviors. CBT is highly effective at treating a range of conditions, including depression, anxiety disorders, and substance use problems. CBT helps individuals change both their thinking patterns and behavioral patterns to cope better with challenges and improve their mental health.

Many who receive effective CBT stay well without further treatment; however, this is not the case for everyone. When individuals are depressed, they experience both negative feelings and negative thinking. This can create a loop: sad feelings cause sad thoughts, which in turn cause more sad feelings.

For some of us, negative feelings easily trigger negative thinking, which can quickly lead to depressive relapse. Research suggests these folks may benefit the most from participating in a mindfulness-based program.

Unfortunately, difficult feelings are unavoidable. Sadness, frustration, and anxiety are inevitable. However, when these feelings lead to thinking discouraged and hopelessness, it is easy to mistake them for being objectively true.

Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy was developed by psychologists as a way to help individuals with a history of depression stay well and prevent depression relapse. To learn more about upcoming MBCT programs, click here.

Tips for Mental Wellness

Practice Gratitude
A simple gratitude practice is the Daily 5—listing five things you are grateful for each day. This can help with reframing.

References

American Psychological Association. (2017). What is cognitive behavioral therapy? https://www.apa.org/ptsd-guideline/patients-and-families/cognitive-behavioral

Segal, Z. V., Williams, J. M. G., & Teasdale, J. D. (2013). Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression (2nd ed.). The Guilford Press.

van der Velden, A. M., Kuyken, W., Wattar, U., Crane, C., Pallesen, K. J., Dahlgaard, J., Fjorback, L. O., & Piet, J. (2015). A systematic review of mechanisms of change in mindfulness-based cognitive therapy in the treatment of recurrent major depressive disorder. Clinical Psychology Review, 37, 26–39. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2015.02.001

Managing Symptoms of Anxiety

Managing Anxiety

 A common question for people with anxiety symptoms is how to work with them and manage them. Below, I will share some tips. It is recommended to have various options versus just sticking with one.

 

In the moment when feeling anxious.

  • Distract yourself (listen to music, do something you enjoy, go for a walk, talk to a friend)

  • Take long, deep breaths. Breathe in for 5 seconds and breathe out for 7 seconds.

  • Positive self-talk – remind yourself that you will be okay even though you’re having a difficult moment.

  • Drop into your senses- think about what you can hear, smell, taste, and touch

 

Lifestyle Measure Do’s

  • Consider peer support, where people use their experiences to help each other.

  • Eat a healthy and balanced diet of regular meals.Limit processed foods and foods high in additives and added sugar.

  • Exercise – activities such as running, walking, swimming, and yoga can help you relax.

  • Prioritize Sleep

  • Try talking about your feelings to a friend, family member, health professional, or counselor.

  • Practice meditation and mind-body activites like yoga or tai-chi.

 

Lifestyle Measure Don’ts

  • Do not try to do everything at once – set small targets you can quickly achieve.

  • Do not focus on the things you cannot change—focus your time and energy on helping yourself feel better.

  • Do not avoid situations that make you anxious – try slowly building up time spent in worrying situations to reduce anxiety gradually.

  • Try not to tell yourself that you're alone; most people experience anxiety or fear at some point in their life.

  • Try not to use alcohol, cigarettes, gambling, or drugs to relieve anxiety, as these can all contribute to poor mental health.

 

 

Citations:

Understanding and Managing Anxiety

Anxiety is an apprehensive uneasiness or nervousness about what is about to happen. Everyone feels worried or nervous occasionally; however, for some, anxiety can be severe and significantly negatively impact a person’s well-being and relationships.

A person does not have to have an anxiety disorder to experience anxiety symptoms; symptoms of anxiety can show up in our bodily sensations, actions, feelings, and thoughts.

Sometimes, we can interpret our worry, dread, and avoidance as personal failings or defects. However, this is not the case. They are just symptoms of your anxiety.

 

Physical Symptoms of Anxiety

·         Breathlessness

·         Difficulty sleeping

·         Faster, irregular, or more noticeable heartbeat

·         Feeling lightheaded or dizzy

·         Gastrointestinal issues; upset stomach.

·         Headaches

·         Feeling hot

·         Restlessness

·         Sweating more than usual

Mental /Emotional Symptoms of Anxiety

·         Being unable to relax

·         Difficulty concentrating

·         Feeling tearful

·         Fear of the worst happening

·         Intrusive traumatic memories

·         Obsessive Thoughts

Common Behavioral Changes Associated with Anxiety

·         Difficulty enjoying leisure time.

·         Difficulty looking after yourself

·         Struggling to form or maintain relationships

·         Worrying about trying new things

·         Avoiding places and situations that create anxiety.

·         Compulsive behavior, such as constantly checking things

Citations:

  1. https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/feelings-symptoms-behaviours/feelings-and-symptoms/anxiety-fear-panic/

  2. https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/11-tips-for-coping-with-an-anxiety-disorder

  3. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anxiety

Common Thoughts for People Who Experience Anxiety

Some thoughts are common and normal for people who are experiencing anxiety. When we are anxious, we can accept these thoughts as true and accurate even when they are just features of our anxiety. Mindfulness helps us step back and decide whether to take our thoughts seriously. Typically, we believe these thoughts less when we feel good.

Common Anxious Thoughts Examples:

1.       I worry about not being able to handle problems in life as well as others seem to be.

2.       I worry about my behavior.

3.       I think I’m a failure.

4.       I worry about saying or doing the wrong things when I am with people I do not know.

5.       I worry that I am less capable than others.

6.       I worry about my failures and weaknesses.

7.       I worry about making a fool of myself.

8.       I worry about saying or doing the wrong thing with people I do not know.

9.       I worry about my health.

10.   I worry about becoming seriously physically ill

11.   If I have physical symptoms, I tend to think of the worst possible outcome and feel worried.

12.   When I think about the future, I think more about the negative than the positive things that can happen.

Reflection

Sometimes, we can interpret our worry, dread, and avoidance as personal failings. We can think that since we feel worried and want to avoid stressors, we are weak, or we have a personality defect,

However, this is not the case. Someone who is tired because they are sick is not lazy, and anxious people are not weak. It is just a symptom of our anxiety.

 

Breathwork for Anxiety

Say the following phases silently to yourself.

·         Inhaling (I am breathing in calm)

·         Exhaling (I am releasing tension)

 

Positive Self-Talk for Anxiety

Even though I feel intense anxiety, I am safe and I will be okay.

 

Citations: