Change Your Thinking with CBT

Pleasant emotions, such as joy, personal satisfaction, feelings of security or self-worth are the long-term rewards that motivate us to put our current desires on hold.

Doing things that give us a sense of achievement or purpose is also spirit-lifting.

Choosing to avoid situations that we fear reinforces the belief that those situations are highly threatening.

Trying to do things perfectly all the time reinforces the belief that everything we do must be perfect.

Trying to do things perfectly all the time reinforces the belief that everything we do must be perfect. As a consequence, we become anxious or immobilised in situations where we may not be able to do a perfect job.

Completing some tasks less than perfectly can help us to recognise that things don’t have to be perfect, and this revised belief frees us from unnecessary anxiety.

being nice to someone we dislike can enable us to perceive them more positively and feel more comfortable in their presence

‘Why do I think this way?’ And why is it that some people think in a healthy, balanced way most of the time, while others have negative, biased and self-defeating perceptions much of the time?

The more strongly we hold our beliefs, the more likely we are to feel unhappy when our life circumstances don’t live up to them.

I am prosperous and I am a winner. ➤  Every day, in every way, I’m getting better and better. ➤  My world is full of abundance. ➤  Things are working out to my highest good. ➤  I love myself and I approve of myself. ➤  The universe lovingly takes care of me.

do they really work? The answer is: it depends on whether or not you believe them.

reciting statements that we don’t believe will not magically imprint them on our unconscious mind.

The aim of CBT is not to eliminate all unpleasant emotions, but to respond to situations appropriately.

even in grief, negative thinking can generate additional unnecessary suffering.

While we tend to blame ‘A’ (the activating event) for ‘C’ (the consequences), it is actually ‘B’ (our beliefs) that make us feel the way we do.

Once we identify the thoughts and beliefs that make us feel bad, our next step is to dispute them.

Disputing is a key component of CBT. Learning to change rigid, inflexible cognitions enables us to avoid or release emotions that cause unnecessary distress.

The aim of CBT is not to eliminate all upsetting emotions, but to develop reasonable, balanced cognitions and respond appropriately to life’s challenges.

The happiest people are those with the most flexible attitudes.

A key characteristic of happy people is their ability to adapt to life circumstances—a trait called cognitive flexibility.