Anxiety: Using positive thinking
What is positive thinking?
Positive thinking, or healthy thinking, is a way to help you stay well by changing how you think. It’s based on research that shows that you can change how you think. And how you think affects how you feel.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy, also called CBT, is a type of therapy that is often used to help people think in a healthy way. CBT can help you learn to replace negative thoughts with positive ones. These negative thoughts are sometimes called irrational or automatic thoughts.
Working on your own or with a counselor, you can practice these three steps:
- Watch. Notice your thoughts, sometimes called "self-talk." Some people don't pay much attention to what they tell themselves. If they happen to notice that they've told themselves they're a worrier and there's nothing they can do about it, they just accept that discouraging thought as fact.
- Check. Look at your thoughts, and ask if they are completely true. Ask yourself if these thoughts are untrue or exaggerated. Maybe you're ignoring something positive.
- Correct. Replace the negative thoughts with positive, helpful thoughts. This is the step where you can change the way you feel.
The goal is to have positive thoughts come naturally. It may take some time to change the way you think. So you will need to practice positive thinking every day.
Test Your Knowledge
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is a type of therapy that can help change how you think about yourself.
You need to see a counselor to do CBT.
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Why is positive thinking important to help you cope with anxiety?
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| Author: | Marianne Flagg | Last Updated: August 27, 2008 |
| Medical Review: | Catherine D. Serio, PhD - Behavioral Health Lisa S. Weinstock, MD - Psychiatry | |
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