Modifying Thoughts
We're going to explore some specific ways that we can begin to engage in cognitive restructuring, which is a fancy term for changing our thoughts. A big goal of cognitive restructuring is to slow down and pay attention to our thoughts so that we can more intentionally make choices about what to do next.
We will introduce several techniques for beginning to approach thoughts more intentionally. Remember that your current thoughts are a pattern. We can use your brain's skill for creating habits to begin to create new thought habits! New habits can take some time and practice, so I encourage you to be gentle with yourself as you try on these new techniques.
Affirmations
Let's start with discussing self-affirmations. Just as our unhelpful thinking patterns reinforce other depressive symptoms, research has shown that drawing attention to our positive qualities can inhibit or stop the downward spiral. Additionally, attending to our positive characteristics makes it easier to change and move towards goals.
While depressed, it's easy to see all the things that we believe are "wrong" with ourselves and it's a challenge to identify our positive traits. Let’s take a moment to practice this skill of focusing on our positive qualities. Click here for a worksheet to assist you in creating self-affirmations. Take a moment to write one self-affirmation for yourself using these guidelines and following the examples provided.
You are encouraged to continue saying an affirmation daily. You can create a new one every day or repeat the same one. Try to say them at a specific time (like before bed or upon waking up).
You may also find that it's not enough to simply write the affirmation. When we finish writing them we can forget them until we are forced to write a new one. Sometimes, we need to place them where we can see them in order to be reminded of our affirmations on a regular basis. You might put your affirmations on your desk where you study, next to your toothbrush, or on the save screen of your phone!
Alternative Thoughts
Another way to shift some of our patterns of unhelpful thinking is to begin creating what we call alternative thought patterns. It's important to remember that as we are creating alternative responses, we are not saying to "just think positively," because we know it's not that simple. What we are asking for is to practice taking a step back and looking at the situation from a broader perspective in order to begin developing new patterns of thoughts.
Make sure that your alternative thought is realistic and believable. Don't try to jump to the positive extreme, as this would be an example of black and white thinking. For instance, using the example from session one of the student whom asked a classmate to be their partner, try not to go from the thought "she must hate me" to "she thinks I'm the greatest ever." Instead, a good example might be, "She might still like me."
Now, using one of your cross sectional formulations that you completed previously, practice filling out the blank Alternative Response Worksheet here. Use the questions on the worksheet to help you complete this. These questions are helpful for forming alternative thoughts. They are intended to guide you until alternative thoughts become second nature.
Other Thought Techniques
In addition to self-affirmations and alternative responses, there are several other little tricks that we can use to begin to shift our patterns of thinking. Click here to review these techniques. As you review them, remember that it takes time to build new habits because you are training your mind to think differently. We encourage you to try each of them at least 3 times with intention before deciding if you like them. You might find that some of these tricks work better than others or at different times or in different ways. We’d like you to build ample techniques for shifting your thoughts.