Train Yourself How To Think

An intervention tool called Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) lays the foundation of establishing helpful thinking skills for self-regulation.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is essentially a coaching tool within traditional psychotherapy, however, it’s basic tenets can be applied in self-coaching practices.

CBT focuses on the ‘here and now’ rather than your childhood. It explores the relationship between your mindset, situations, thoughts, emotions, behavior and reactions. It trains you to question whether the thought you are thinking is true, thereby slowing down your reaction time for greater emotional stablity.

CBT has clear goals and practical, proven techniques to help you train your mind and regulate your emotional states.

Why would you want to train yourself how to think?

• if you suffer from constant agitation and worry;
• you experience anxiety and ruminating thoughts often or daily;
• you notice your thoughts drain your energy by the time the day is over;
• you’re procrastinating;
• you’re in a state or phase of transition (divorce, death, career shifts).

The fundamential question to ask yourself when you’re in a thought loop and feelings of anxiety are showing up in sweaty palms or a pit in your stomach is:

“how do i know my thought is true?”

Through data and actual verifyable events, validate if your anxiety producing thought is true.

For example:

The Anxiety Thought:

“I just received a side-ways glance from my boss…she must think my response at the board meeting was insensitive and racist.”

Physical and Mental Reactions:

Pit in the stomach, rumination through additional thoughts about supposed opinions the boss will have and if your job and livelihood are in danger.

Apply the CBT Question:

“how do i know my thought is true?”

CBT Intervention Response:

“I don’t know if my thought is true. My boss has not said anything to me and she may have been looking at something else…