Stop Overthinking: 23 Techniques to Relieve Stress, Stop Negative Spirals, Declutter Your Mind, and Focus on the Present (The Path to Calm Book 1)

by Nick Trenton

Takeaways Many of us are stuck in certain specific negative thought patterns that cause us a lot of anxiety. Cognitive behavioral therapy can help you identify these thought patterns and replace them with more positive attitudes, which will improve your mental health significantly. The first thing you need to do is identify the different cognitive distortions you might be falling prey to. Some common ones are black-and-white thinking, wherein you perceive everything in extremes as either horrible or heavenly, and discounting the positives to disproportionally focus on the bad in any given scenario. There is a long list of such distortions, and we likely employ several different ones together. Next, we turn our focus to what kind of situations, people, or surroundings trigger specific thought patterns for you. You can use the dysfunctional thought record as a way to keep track of the relevant details. Here, whenever you feel yourself slipping into a negative thought pattern, stop and identify the place, situation, or events that preceded the thought, what exactly the thought was, and which type of distortion it was. Then, think of a rational response to this thought. Once we understand more about our cognitive distortions, we need ways to change these thought patterns. One effective way to do this is through behavioral experiments. A simple way to use this technique is to clearly state your negative thought or belief. Then, form a hypothesis wherein you consider the possibi...