Cognitive Restructuring and Stress Management
By Tim Staines
Stress management involves different ways in handling stress. The use of cognitive restructuring for relieving stress is just but one of them. Cognitive restructuring is actually a process in which the mind is being made to rethink and restructure its own faulty set of beliefs. This method has actually been developed as a means to treat psychological conditions such as severe stress, anxiety disorders as well as depression.
The development of cognitive restructuring was based on the belief that situations and circumstances that cause stress can be a direct result of a person's way of thinking. People may look at different circumstances differently. Others will see climbing a mountain as a opportunity to reach new heights. Thinking about reaching the top and looking at the magnificent view from a unique vantage point can motivate them to go forward. But for others, it might be a different thing altogether.
There can be other people who might think of climbing a mountain as a lost cause. Just thinking about the distance and the elevation that they need to cover to reach the top can be enough to make them decide that it is not worth it. Sometimes they might consider going for a few steps. But then thinking about the effort that they have give and the difficulties ahead can give them a stressful fit that they eventually will change their minds. This can be how one's though process and way of thinking can influence one's behavior and actions. Cognitive restructuring can be used to help people rethink and influence their behavior and actions for a more positive result.
A person's own unrealistic beliefs and thinking can be directly responsible for bringing out certain dysfunctional emotions and feelings. This can further influence behavior and attitudes which, if neglected, can lead to depression, undue stress or anxiety. Getting rid of such emotions and feelings can help prevent stress and other similar conditions. But in order to do that, restructuring or changing certain unrealistic beliefs or faulty thinking would be needed.
In cognitive restructuring, faulty thinking or beliefs are known as cognitive distortions. Cognitive distortions can greatly influence one's behavior. The distortions are usually composed of a set of negative thinking and belief. What makes them sometimes difficult to get over is that people tend to easily accept them as truth. It is part of the process of cognitive restructuring to identify, challenge and then change these cognitive distortions with more accurate and beneficial ones.
Although many may not be aware of it, people undergo several instances of internal dialogue. The internal dialogue can be a means that a person use to remember a certain task or to reinforce that a decision made is the right one. But whatever the reason for the internal dialogue or self talk, one thing is for certain- people use them as a means to influence certain behaviors and actions.
Self talk can be used by people to either make life better or worse for a person. It is the internal dialogue that tries to interpret, explain and judge every situation encountered by a person. The way that a person processes the thoughts based on certain beliefs can lead to different resulting behavior or actions. If the internal dialogue is based faulty thinking or beliefs, then it would most likely lead to negative behavior.
This can eventually lead to stress, anxiety and depression. When it comes to stress management, cognitive restructuring can help identify, recognize and then change these certain unrealistic beliefs and thought patterns.
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