Replace unhelpful thoughts with positive ones from "summary" of Retrain Your Brain: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy in 7 Weeks by Seth J. Gillihan
When we're feeling down or anxious, it's often due to unhelpful thoughts that we're holding on to. These thoughts can be automatic and ingrained, popping into our minds without us even realizing it. They may not be accurate or realistic, but they can have a powerful effect on our emotions and behaviors. One of the key principles of cognitive behavioral therapy is to identify these unhelpful thoughts and replace them with more balanced and realistic ones. The idea of replacing unhelpful thoughts with positive ones is not about forcing ourselves to be happy or pretending that everything is fine when it's not. It's about challenging the negative beliefs and assumptions that are contributing to our emotional distress. By questioning these thoughts and looking at them from a different perspective, we can often see that they're not as valid or true as they may have seemed at first. For example, if you find yourself thinking, "I'm a failure because I made a mistake at work," you can challenge this thought by asking yourself, "Is it really true that one mistake defines my entire worth as a person?" You might also consider whether there are other factors at play, such as external circumstances or unrealistic expectations. Once you've identified the unhelpful thought and challenged its validity, the next step is to come up with a more balanced and realistic alternative. This doesn't necessarily mean replacing negative thoughts with positive ones, but rather with thoughts that are more accurate and constructive. In the example above, you might reframe the thought as, "I made a mistake at work, but that doesn't mean I'm a failure. Everyone makes mistakes, and I can learn from this experience to do better in the future." It's important to practice this process regularly, as changing our thought patterns takes time and effort. The more we challenge and replace our unhelpful thoughts, the more automatic and natural it will become. Over time, we can train our brains to think in a more balanced and realistic way, leading to improved emotional well-being and behavior.
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