What are the very effective CBT techniques for better mental health? Cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, is a type of psychotherapy that has been shown to be very effective for treating mental health conditions like depression and anxiety. It is a short-term, goal-oriented form of therapy that can be used to treat a wide variety of mental health issues.
In this article, we will discuss seven CBT techniques for better mental health that you can try at home to improve your mental health.
1. Identify your thoughts and emotions
Identification is a cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) technique that involves becoming more aware of your thoughts and emotions. Once you’re able to identify what you’re thinking and feeling, you can start to question whether those thoughts are accurate and helpful.
For example, if you’re feeling anxious about an upcoming presentation, you might be able to talk yourself out of that fear once you realize that it’s just a case of nerves. CBT techniques like identification have been proven to be effective in treating mental health conditions like anxiety, depression, and OCD.
2. Challenge your negative thoughts
CBT techniques like challenging your negative thoughts can be extremely effective in treating mental health conditions.
If you’re able to identify the negative thoughts that are causing you distress, you can start to challenge them. Are they really true? Do they help or hinder you? Are there any other ways of looking at the situation?
For example, if you’re feeling down about yourself, is there evidence that contradicts your negative thoughts? If there’s no evidence then there’s a good chance you aren’t treating yourself fairly, and that your negative thoughts aren’t entirely true.
This gives you a foothold to reevaluate how any given situation makes you feel and prepares you to counter negative thought patterns whenever they inevitably arise.
3. Get enough sleep
Sleep is crucial for both your physical and mental health. When you’re sleep-deprived, it’s harder to focus and concentrate. You’re also more likely to feel irritable and on edge.
This can make it difficult to manage anxiety and can even lead to depression, but sometimes anxiety makes falling asleep challenging. To find out more about which states offer medical cannabis for mental health conditions like anxiety and insomnia, make sure to visit Veriheal.
4. Create a worry list
Another CBT technique is to create a worry list. This can be helpful if you find that your mind is constantly racing with anxious thoughts. Write down everything that’s causing you anxiety on a piece of paper or on your phone.
Once it’s all written down, take a step back and look at it. What can you do to address each worry? Is there anything you can do to eliminate it entirely? Is there anything you can do to reduce the impact it has on your life? For each worry, come up with a realistic plan of action.
This will help to ease your anxiety because you’ll know that you’re taking concrete steps to address your concerns.
5. Practice relaxation techniques
CBT also commonly incorporates relaxation techniques. This can be helpful if you find that your anxiety causes you to feel constantly on edge. Relaxation techniques can help you to calm your body and mind. They can also be used as a tool to manage anxiety at the moment.
Some relaxation techniques that you may want to try include deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, and visualization. Find the technique or techniques that work best for you and practice them regularly.
These techniques aren’t a one-time-fix solution though —you need to practice regularly to reap the full benefits.
6. Diaphragmatic breath
One of the most common relaxation techniques is diaphragmatic breathing, also known as deep abdominal breathing. This type of breathing helps to oxygenate your blood and can help to relax your body.
To do this type of breathing, place one hand on your stomach and inhale deeply through your nose. The hand on your stomach should rise as you inhale.
Exhale slowly through your mouth and feel your stomach sink as your diaphragm contracts and presses the air out of your lungs. Repeat this breathing pattern for several minutes.
7. Do things you enjoy
This is referred to as behavioral action. Depression can make you feel like nothing in this world will make you feel better. But if you are intellectually aware that certain behaviors bring you joy —like dancing or singing— then do those things, even if you don’t feel like it.
When you do activities that make you happy, your brain will begin to release serotonin, dopamine, and even endorphins depending on the physical extent of your activity. This will help to break the cycle of negative thoughts and feelings that characterizes depression.
Conclusion
CBT is a type of therapy that can be helpful for managing anxiety, depression, and other mental health disorders. Hope you may try these 7 CBT techniques for better mental health. If you’re curious about CBT, give one or all of these techniques a try and see which ones work best for you.
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