Summary of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Exercises (FEEL Better!)

Summary of Key Wellness Strategies, Self-Care Techniques, and Productivity Tips from "Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Exercises (FEEL Better!)"

• Understanding CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy):
  • CBT focuses on the interaction between feelings, thoughts (cognitions), and behaviors.
  • Feelings influence thoughts and behaviors, but importantly, thoughts also influence feelings and behaviors, and behaviors influence both thoughts and feelings.
  • Changing feelings directly is difficult; instead, change your thoughts or behaviors to improve how you feel.
• Common Negative Cycles in Depression and Anxiety:
  • Depression example: Negative self-talk → avoidant behavior (e.g., staying on the couch) → worsened feelings.
  • Anxiety example: Catastrophic thinking about a minor event → physiological anxiety response → avoidant behavior (e.g., not working) → worsened anxiety.
  • These cycles reinforce themselves, creating spirals of negative feelings and behaviors.
• Types of Behaviors in CBT:
  • Compulsive behaviors: Overworking, overeating, excessive drinking.
  • Avoidant behaviors: Avoiding driving, socializing, isolating, procrastinating, numbing out feelings.
  • Both compulsive and avoidant behaviors are generally unhealthy and reinforce negative feelings.
  • Healthy behaviors can replace unhealthy ones, examples include:
    • Calling a friend
    • Going for a walk
    • Taking a shower
    • Asking for help
    • Meditating or doing Yoga
    • Hugging a pet
• CBT Log (Thought-Behavior-Feeling Log):
  • Track and analyze situations by noting:
    • Facts of the situation
    • Emotional and physical feelings (rate intensity 0-10)
    • Unhelpful thoughts (identify cognitive distortions)
    • Unhelpful behaviors (compulsive or avoidant)
    • Alternative, more adaptive thoughts (reframe cognitive distortions)
    • What you would say to a friend in the same situation
    • Alternative, healthier behaviors to try
    • After implementation, note new feelings and rate them to track progress
• Cognitive Distortions to Watch For:
  • Catastrophizing (projecting worst-case future scenarios)
  • Mind reading (assuming you know others’ thoughts without evidence)
  • Projection
  • Other unhelpful thinking styles (detailed in a related video)
• Key CBT Principles:
  • "Move a muscle, change a thought." Initiating physical behavior can help shift thoughts and feelings.
  • Behavior change is crucial and often more accessible than immediate thought change.
  • Both changing thoughts and behaviors require practice and effort.
  • Trauma history may make changing thoughts especially difficult; specialized resources (like PDFs on transforming core beliefs) can help.
• Encouragement and Engagement:
  • Reflect on where you can intervene: thoughts or behaviors.
  • Use the CBT Log regularly to build awareness and practice change.
  • Seek support if needed and use healthy behaviors to improve mood and functioning.

Presenter:

• Barbara Heffernan, Psychotherapist with over 15 years of experience in anxiety and Trauma Recovery.

Notable Quotes

— 09:53 — « Our behavior does not have to be driven by our feelings. We can not want to do something and we can do it anyway. »

— 09:57 — « A very, very helpful phrase to keep in mind is move a muscle, change a thought. When we move a muscle, our thoughts change. »

— 10:26 — « Many of us can't change the way we think. So with the whole CBT cycle, you really need to identify where you can intervene, whether you can intervene with changing your thoughts or whether you can intervene with changing your behavior. »

— 11:25 — « Changing how you think is not easy and changing how you behave is not easy either. Both take practice, effort and practice. »

Category

Wellness and Self-Improvement

Video