Cognitive Behavioral Therapy - CBT

Cognitive Reframing during a pandemic

CBT to the rescue!

So you are understandably stressed and potentially experiencing anxiety and mood struggles. Work has changed, socialization has changed and life as you know it has changed. There are so many unknowns right now. The good news is that there are ways to help yourself feel better! An important concept to help navigate through this isolating and unforeseen time is to recognize what you have control over versus what you don’t. And guess what? Even though you can’t have control over everything, you can learn to have more control of your thoughts and how you’re feeling about situations. The secret to this is by engaging in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, also known as CBT. This cognitive model is an important tool to utilize in reframing your thoughts and perceptions of situations. If your thoughts become more positive then your mood becomes more positive.

Let me further explain. Your thoughts lead to having feelings and emotions, which then lead to your response and behavior. So here is how to implement the restructuring of a negative thought by using cognitive reframing. When pessimistic or upsetting thoughts come into your head, it’s best to stop and ask yourself if there is any other way to look at the situation from a different perspective. For example, with COVID-19 lingering and sheltering in place orders currently being in effect, maybe your thought is, “I’m not allowed to be around anyone right now, this is the worst.” That then may lead to the feeling of loneliness or sadness, and possibly lacking motivation to do things. However, if you prompt yourself to try to look at the situation from a different light it gives you a more neutral and less impacting emotion. Ask yourself, are there any other ways of looking at this or any positives here? You can reframe the thought by saying to yourself something like, “Yes, this is hard, however, by not being allowed to be around other people during this circumstance I’m doing my part in trying to keep myself, my colleagues, friends and family safer. This won’t last forever and although I have less socialization there are other ways to connect with people. I also now have more time to focus on the things that I’ve never made time for before. I can get through this.” With reframing your original thought into this replacement thought you now will probably have better emotions and feelings regarding the situation and your behavior will reflect that. The CBT model helps you restructure your thoughts so that you can feel more positive.

Pro-tip! If you’re struggling to come up with things to say to yourself, a great skill to try is to ask yourself how you would respond to a friend in the same situation. We often are more supportive and kinder to others than we are to ourselves. This strategy helps to give yourself what you need to have a brighter outlook.

Lastly, if you find yourself excessively struggling then don't hesitate to seek help. Bettering yourself is something you won't regret. Remember that CBT can help. Many providers are telehealth based right now and are able to guide you through this challenging time. Hang in there!

Check out my other blog posts for further recommendations regarding how to feel better during the pandemic!