Apply CBT techniques in everyday life

As we go through life, events or actions may subtly shift our perception of the world, often without us realizing it. This can become problematic when it leads to mental health issues that affect our daily lives, such as stress, lack of confidence, or fear of public spaces.

Don’t feel bad though; this can happen to anyone. Fortunately, we can improve our lives significantly by applying Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) techniques daily. Let’s explore how.

One effective CBT technique is the 3Cs: Catch, Check, and Change. The basic idea is that we can’t fix our behavior if we don’t recognize it first. Here’s how to apply the 3Cs:

Catch

For most of us just starting out it’s probably advisable to start by focusing on one problem at a time. This may be different for you depending on your past experience. Common problems we might want to focus on include:

• Blaming others or only yourself
• Always expecting the worst
• Focusing only on the negative
• Assuming life is always unfair
• Making assumptions based on limited evidence

The trick is to gain enough understanding and practice to catch when you are exhibiting this behavior, but also to know how it affects our happiness in life.

Check

It’s now time to tackle the problem head-on. In the check phase, ask yourself:

• Why do I feel this way?
• Is it a problem?
• Is this thought true?

For example, if you feel insecure in a public space, you might notice negative self-talk. This insecurity is directly caused by these automatic thoughts. Ask yourself if there’s a genuine reason to feel insecure. If not, your feelings are likely due to unhelpful thoughts, which can be addressed.

Change

The final step is change. CBT focuses on correcting problems and removing errors in our thinking. Once you understand why you feel a certain way, you can reason with it. Create a mantra, such as:

“I felt insecure because of an automatic negative thought. There is no reason to feel insecure right now.”

Repeat this mantra whenever the problem arises. Over time, this can ease your mind and reduce negative thoughts as they become conscious and manageable.

Recap

Applying CBT techniques on your own involves using the 3Cs: first, spot the thought or behavior you want to change; then, ask yourself the right questions; and finally, reason with it. As you practice, try to identify more mental distortions as your understanding and skills improve. For more on cognitive distortions, visit our collection on the topic.