Unlock the secret to positivity with this top tip from a therapist
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We all experience negative thoughts, and it can be a difficult struggle. Thankfully, help is close at hand.
CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) is an effective way to address mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety disorders by changing the way you think and behave.
CBT Therapist Alex Hird recently posted an insightful clip online on cognitive restructuring—a tip she believes ‘everybody could benefit from’.
The therapist explains: ‘Today I was prepping a session on cognitive restructuring, which is a dead fancy way of saying thought challenging.’
‘This is a technique that I think everybody would benefit from because essentially, think of how many thoughts we have a day, our thoughts flow like traffic.’
‘What we find when we have a negative situation or a stressful situation, it can cause what we call in therapy, negative automatic thoughts to occur and that’s like having a traffic jam in your head.’
Alex explains how the same person who made a mistake at work can come home and drop their dinner, can reinforce that thought of ‘I can’t do anything right, I’m not good enough’.
Continuing, Alex gives an example of how it could work:
‘If recently you’ve been in any negative situations which have caused you to internalise a negative thought about yourself or the situation, I want you to firstly say “Just because I think something, doesn’t mean it’s true.”’
She advises viewers not to ‘let the thoughts stop you from doing what you want to do’, and instead to ‘come up with the evidence’ in the situation.
Her second tip: ‘What is another way I can look at this situation or challenge that thought?’
According to the UK’s National Health Service (NHS), ‘CBT is based on the concept that your thoughts, feelings, physical sensations and actions are interconnected, and that negative thoughts and feelings can trap you in a negative cycle. It aims to help you deal with overwhelming problems in a more positive way by breaking them down into smaller parts.’
‘It looks for practical ways to improve your state of mind daily. If CBT is recommended, you'll usually have a session with a therapist once a week or once every 2 weeks, and the course of treatment usually lasts for between six and 20 sessions, with each session lasting 30 to 60 minutes.’
People on social media were thankful for Alex’s advice, saying how she helped them.
'No I needed this tonight, I just started a new job today, and my anxiety has had me in a ball of nerves all day!' one said.
Another shared, 'Oh I needed this today! My ADHD is running wild. Fact vs fiction challenging is my fav thing I learned in CBT'.
One expressed, 'Always think of thoughts like this. Sometimes they get stuck at a crossroads that’s rammed with traffic,' while another said, 'Love this and need it today'.
You can watch Alex’s full video below:
It can be difficult to address negative thoughts, but together, we can help spread the message of positivity. Unleash the power of thought challenging and see what a difference it can make!
What do you think of this story? Share with us your thoughts in the comments!
CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) is an effective way to address mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety disorders by changing the way you think and behave.
CBT Therapist Alex Hird recently posted an insightful clip online on cognitive restructuring—a tip she believes ‘everybody could benefit from’.
The therapist explains: ‘Today I was prepping a session on cognitive restructuring, which is a dead fancy way of saying thought challenging.’
Alex posted tips on social media on how to counter negative thoughts. Image: TikTok / @alexhird96
‘This is a technique that I think everybody would benefit from because essentially, think of how many thoughts we have a day, our thoughts flow like traffic.’
‘What we find when we have a negative situation or a stressful situation, it can cause what we call in therapy, negative automatic thoughts to occur and that’s like having a traffic jam in your head.’
Alex explains how the same person who made a mistake at work can come home and drop their dinner, can reinforce that thought of ‘I can’t do anything right, I’m not good enough’.
Continuing, Alex gives an example of how it could work:
‘If recently you’ve been in any negative situations which have caused you to internalise a negative thought about yourself or the situation, I want you to firstly say “Just because I think something, doesn’t mean it’s true.”’
She advises viewers not to ‘let the thoughts stop you from doing what you want to do’, and instead to ‘come up with the evidence’ in the situation.
Alex explains that just because we think of something negative about ourselves doesn’t mean it’s a fact or true most of the time. Image: TikTok / @alexhird96
Her second tip: ‘What is another way I can look at this situation or challenge that thought?’
According to the UK’s National Health Service (NHS), ‘CBT is based on the concept that your thoughts, feelings, physical sensations and actions are interconnected, and that negative thoughts and feelings can trap you in a negative cycle. It aims to help you deal with overwhelming problems in a more positive way by breaking them down into smaller parts.’
‘It looks for practical ways to improve your state of mind daily. If CBT is recommended, you'll usually have a session with a therapist once a week or once every 2 weeks, and the course of treatment usually lasts for between six and 20 sessions, with each session lasting 30 to 60 minutes.’
People on social media were thankful for Alex’s advice, saying how she helped them.
'No I needed this tonight, I just started a new job today, and my anxiety has had me in a ball of nerves all day!' one said.
Another shared, 'Oh I needed this today! My ADHD is running wild. Fact vs fiction challenging is my fav thing I learned in CBT'.
One expressed, 'Always think of thoughts like this. Sometimes they get stuck at a crossroads that’s rammed with traffic,' while another said, 'Love this and need it today'.
You can watch Alex’s full video below:
It can be difficult to address negative thoughts, but together, we can help spread the message of positivity. Unleash the power of thought challenging and see what a difference it can make!
What do you think of this story? Share with us your thoughts in the comments!
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