Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a powerful approach designed to help you understand how your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are connected. The core idea is simple: the patterns of how we think and behave greatly impact our experiences—both positive and negative. By changing these patterns, we can improve our experiences and overcome challenges more effectively. Read on to explore what CBT is, and how it can help ease anxiety.
What Is CBT and How Does It Work?
Developed by psychiatrist Aaron Beck, CBT helps you challenge negative thoughts and beliefs, and replace them with healthier ones. It’s a goal-oriented, short-term therapy aimed at solving problems and achieving personal goals. It can be anywhere from 5 months to longer periods of time if you’re working with a licensed therapist.
During therapy, the focus is on actively working together with your therapist to identify your challenges, explore practical solutions, and create strategies that work for you. It’s a hands-on, team effort to make real, positive changes.
Common Cognitive Distortions
One of the main focuses in CBT is understanding and addressing “cognitive distortions”—patterns of negative thinking that can make problems seem worse than they are.
Here are some common thought distortions:
- Filtering: Focusing only on the negative aspects of a situation and ignoring the positive ones. Example: You made one mistake in a presentation, and so you think that the whole presentation went badly, ignoring the parts that went well.
- Polarized Thinking: Seeing things as either all good or all bad, with no middle ground. Example: Thinking ‘I’m a bad person’, or ‘I’m the best person in the world.’
- Overgeneralization: Making broad conclusions based on a single event. Example: If you’re searching for a new job and one interview doesn’t go as planned, you believe you’ll never get a job.
- Jumping to Conclusions: Believing things will turn out badly without any solid evidence. Example: If you’re about to go on a date, thinking that the date will go terribly.
- Catastrophizing: Expecting the worst possible outcome, even in minor situations. Example: Worrying that a natural disaster will occur, or that you will get into a car accident.
These thought patterns can hold us back and make us feel stuck, but through CBT skills for anxiety, you can learn to identify and challenge these distortions, creating healthier thinking habits.
Seven CBT Strategies for Anxiety
Though it’s always best to work with a licensed therapist, there are some CBT exercises for depression and anxiety that you can practice implementing in your daily life. CBT involves various techniques to help you gain control over your thoughts and emotions. Some effective methods include:
- Journaling: Keeping track of your thoughts and feelings to spot patterns and triggers can help you to identify negative thought patterns and how to avoid them. Take a look at some of our journaling prompts to help you get started.
- Cognitive Restructuring: This exercise helps you identify and challenge negative thinking patterns. By tracking automatic negative thoughts and replacing them with more positive, realistic ones, you can better handle tough situations.
- Activity Scheduling: A helpful tool for overcoming depression or anxiety, this technique encourages you to schedule activities that you usually avoid, like enjoyable hobbies. Doing this can boost your mood and help reintroduce positive behaviors into your routine.
- Successive Approximation: Feeling overwhelmed by big goals? This technique breaks large tasks into smaller, more manageable steps, making it easier to build confidence and eventually tackle the bigger goal. This is also a CBT exercise for ADHD- read this article to learn more.
- Mindfulness Meditation: A practice that helps you focus on the present moment and stop ruminating on negative thoughts. Mindfulness can improve attention, help manage pain, and regulate emotions. Take a look at some other alternative therapies to help with mental health here.
- Skills Training: One of the CBT exercises for social anxiety, this is about improving your social and communication skills through role-playing and practice. It can help you feel more confident and assertive in various situations.
- Relaxation Breathing: A simple but effective way to calm your body and mind when you’re feeling anxious. This technique focuses on deep breathing to reduce physical symptoms of anxiety, like a racing heart or shortness of breath. Try starting with the 4-7-8 breathing method (breathing in for four seconds, holding for seven, and out for eight seconds).
These CBT skills for anxiety help you better understand your mental and emotional patterns and empower you to make positive changes.
Research has shown that CBT is effective in treating anxiety, stress, and anger management. In fact, a 2012 study of 269 CBT studies found it to be highly successful in managing stress and anxiety when combined with other treatments.
Additional CBT Technique for Anxiety- The 5-Minute Triple Column Technique
The Triple Column Technique is a quick and effective way to address negative thinking. Here’s how it works:
- Write Down Your Automatic Thought: First, make three columns on a piece of paper. In the first column, jot down the negative thought that’s bothering you. For example, “My presentation went terribly. My boss probably hates me.”
- Identify Cognitive Distortions: In the second column, look for any cognitive distortions in your thought. In this example, you might spot overgeneralization (“I always fail at presentations”) or jumping to conclusions (“My boss hates me”).
- Create a Rational Response: In the third column, rewrite your thought in a more balanced and logical way. For example: “My presentation wasn’t perfect, but I’ve done well in the past. I can talk to my boss to get feedback and improve for next time.”
By completing these three columns, you’re able to challenge irrational thoughts and replace them with more positive, realistic ones. By taking just a few minutes each day to complete this exercise, you can better manage your thoughts, reduce anxiety, and improve your overall mood.
Getting Started with CBT Exercises for Anxiety
Whether you’re dealing with anxiety, depression, or just wanting to improve your mental well-being, CBT offers a range of techniques to help you take control. By identifying harmful thought patterns and replacing them with more balanced, positive alternatives, you can make meaningful changes in your life.
Remember that CBT works best with the guidance of a trained therapist who can help you navigate the process. And don’t forget, it’s important to be patient with yourself — change takes time, but the rewards are well worth the effort.
The experts at Associated Clinic of Psychology are here to help- if you’re interested in CBT, we’ll match you with a provider that can help you reach your goals to be a better, more aligned version of yourself. Investing in yourself is the smartest and longest investment you’ll make- start today.
