How do i get out of my own head?

It can be easy to get stuck in our heads once it becomes a familiar place to visit. The more we reinforce a pattern of thought or behavior by engaging, the more solidified that pattern becomes in the brain. These patterns eventually become a pathway in the brain, which if done often enough, can become an automatic thought or reaction.

The key to breaking free of these patterns of thought is to foster an environment that allows new pathways to be developed. This requires us to challenge those automatic thoughts by asking ourselves questions that require us to pause and explore evidence for or against this automatic thought.

"The ABC's of CBT," where CBT refers to cognitive behavioral therapy, is an exercise that offers a step by step process to do just this. The "A" makes reference to the activating event, such as being spoken to in a harsh tone. Following this experience, the "B" or the belief associated with this activating event might be the belief that we have somehow upset or offended this person. This automatic belief leads to "C" or the consequence of holding this belief. When we are exploring consequences we are looking to identify the emotional repercussions, so this could be poor self-worth and increased self-doubt as a result of automatically assuming the negative. "The ABC's of CBT" asks us to go a step further and to identify "D" or to dispute this belief. This is where we explore any evidence that may contradict this automatic thought. For instance, perhaps this individual was currently working through an emotional hardship. They may have no awareness of their tone, as it is more a reflection of their own feelings towards themselves or their current experience. The more we practice identifying "D" in response to our negative thoughts, the easier it becomes to train the brain to take this new pathway that has been built. It can be helpful to keep a journal early on in this process where you can explore situations and practice identifying "A, B, C and D" in response. The more diligent you are in being an active part of this process, the sooner that new pathway can be up and ready for use.

Alisha Barnes, MS, LPC, CCTP-II