Another exercise I love is called TIC TOC, a tool used in CBT that helps people think more adaptively. Given that unhelpful thoughts can fuel loneliness, thinking more constructively is one way of reducing experiences of loneliness. First attributed to the founder of CBT, Aaron Beck, and later described by psychiatrist David Burns, TIC stands for Task Interfering Cognitions, and TOC stands for Task Orienting Cognitions. This sounds complicated, but basically, it involves watching your mind so you can more flexibly replace ideas that get in your way with ones that motivate you. TIC TOC is often
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