CBT: How CBT Helps You Stop Overthinking and Change Negative Thought Patterns
, by Shawni McDonald , 2 min reading time
Learn how CBT helps us identify negative thinking patterns, challenge automatic thoughts, and reduce overthinking with a simple, practical thought-reframing exercise.
Our thoughts can feel like facts.
I'm not good enough.
Something bad is going to happen.
I always make the wrong decisions.
No one will ever truly love me.
But a thought is not automatically the truth.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, commonly called CBT, focuses on the connection between our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.
The Thought, Feeling, Behavior Connection
Imagine someone doesn't respond to your text.
Your thought may be:
"They're ignoring me."
That thought creates anxiety.
The anxiety may lead you to send multiple messages, repeatedly check your phone, or emotionally withdraw.
But what if the original thought wasn't accurate?
CBT teaches us to pause and examine the thought before automatically reacting to it.
A Simple CBT Reframing Exercise
Ask yourself:
What am I thinking?
What emotion is this thought creating?
What evidence supports my thought?
What evidence might challenge it?
What is a more balanced thought?
Instead of:
"They're ignoring me because I did something wrong."
Try:
"I don't currently know why they haven't responded. I can wait for more information before blaming myself."
The goal isn't fake positivity.
The goal is more balanced thinking.
Why Repetition Matters
We don't change lifelong thought patterns by challenging one thought once.
We change through awareness and repetition.
Every time we notice an automatic thought and choose to examine it, we're practicing a new response.
Small mental shifts become new habits.
Start With One Thought
You don't have to fix every thought today.
Notice one.
Question one.
Reframe one.
Sometimes a better life really does begin with a better thought.
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