Cognitive behavioral therapy

1. Journaling. Keeping a thought record of your emotions throughout the day can make you aware of what you’re feeling and experiencing. It can also help to organize anxious thoughts when you are feeling overwhelmed.
2. Unravelling cognitive distortions. Finding out which cognitive distortion you are experiencing can help you to better understand why you may be feeling a certain way. Once you know what you are feeling you can better work through it.
3. Cognitive restructuring. This technique is used to help you gain perspective in your thought patterns. By thinking about situations differently you are able to gain understanding in different ways
4. Exposure. When we experience fear or anxiety we generally find ourselves avoiding a certain situation or environment. Exposure is gradual and safe and allows you to reconnect with things you were once afraid of.
5. Interoceptive exposure. Recreating a feared physical sensation through different exercises.
6. Nightmare exposure and rescripting. Working through nightmares in session to better understand deeper rooted meanings and rewriting the narrative to reduce fear.
7. Progressive muscle relaxation. The tensing and relaxing of muscles throughout the body for a better mind-body connection and awareness.
8. Relaxed breathing. As box breathing, these techniques are used to gain control over breathing to bring you back to being present. Helpful for those suffering from anxiety.

These techniques can help those suffering, both with or without the guidance of a therapist. These techniques are often practiced in session until you are comfortable enough to use them on your own – setting yourself up for success!