Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT)

We face mental strains all the time in our life, but unfortunately, most of us tend to ignore them. Depression, anxiety, stress and sadness are not unfamiliar to any human-being. However, sometimes confronting others and talking about our feelings is frowned upon, and it is seen as a sign of weakness and inability to cope.

We face mental strains all the time in our life, but unfortunately, most of us tend to ignore them. Depression, anxiety, stress and sadness are not unfamiliar to any human-being. However, sometimes confronting others and talking about our feelings is frowned upon, and it is seen as a sign of weakness and inability to cope. These are all problems that affect our relationships, our work mood and over all, our life. First and foremost, I want to begin this discussion by saying that seeking help is in no way something bad. Confronting your issues and accepting that you have them is the first step for the cure. Before we face others, we must first learn to explore our own mind and identify the issues that we face on a daily basis. Cognitive Behavior Therapy greatly enhances this experience, because it turns you into your own consultant and therapist.

Contradictory to many other therapy methods, CBT focuses on the present, and how our thought pattern reflects on our behavior. This method is using to heal oneself of problems that leave us with stress, anxiety, and depression, such as bullying, bad work environments and relationship difficulties. It is a coping strategy that relieves a person of their negative thoughts one performed everyday. Let’s take our first step !

You need to get rid of any denial that you have. Realize that no one is perfect and it is okay to make mistakes. Apologizing for our mistakes is always a good behavior, but keeping the mind set that we are always at fault and we owe that apology forever is where one of the problems , low self esteem, stems. Instead, realize that you can be better and make it up, because everyone has the potential to improve.

Keep a record of all your activities, and reward yourself because you deserve it. A very simple fact that everyone forgets is that loving oneself is a part of what makes others love and like us as well. People tend to stay away from anyone who gives negative vibes, it is just their nature, so by being positive, you uplift their mood as well. Communicate with your colleagues, so that you avoid misunderstandings, and by that your avoid feeling bad about them. No one can understand someone by just observing them. Humans are social creatures.

Now that you know the first step, opening up, the next step is to list the problems and issues that you face, and after that list possible solutions with their pros and cons. See what options fit you best. These steps help you reduce stress.

The last Issue we need to deal with is anxiety, but we must know that anxiety in itself is no issue at all. Anxiety is our body’s response to our world. It is what triggers what we know as, “flight or fight” mode. It keeps us on the lookout and helps us prepare. The real issue here is when we are anxious about something non-existent. A view that we have in our mind which makes us scared and repeats the whole cycle of negative thoughts. For example, Imagine you are a web developer and your boss suddenly calls you up and tells you that you need to make a presentation tomorrow about the work we have done last year. Let’s go through the steps we discussed above, but with two mindsets. The first of a very stressed person, and the second with the mindset we developed together during this blog: 1. “This is so sudden, I don’t think I am prepared” 2. “Couldn't my boss find someone else ? Should I talk with him and make him change his mind” 3. Stress 4. Trouble sleeping 5. Possible headache at work tomorrow 6. Stuttering as a result of anxiety => bad presentation 7. Negative thoughts about the bad presentation that affects our work Now let's take a deep breath, and face this issue the other way: 1. “Why did he tell me this so suddenly,I should give it some thought” 2. “He probably trusts me and believes I can perform well” 3. “But I don’t think I am well suited for this task” 4. “I will talk with him tomorrow before the presentation, and give him a preview” 5. “If he likes what I do, we go with the original plan, if not, I will suggest someone from my team” Same issue, different steps, different thought patterns, different results.

There are hundreds of tutorials on how to go through CBT. A positive thought pattern leads to a positive life. It is that simple. We all have our private issues and it is no one’s right to demean them in any way, but realize that there is no mountain too high to climb over, well at least in our mind :)