Mind Over Mood: Change How You Feel by Changing the Way You Think

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There are 7 steps to completing the Mind Over Mood thought record. I’ll give you an overview, though this isn’t meant as a comprehensive guide. The workbook walks you through the process in more detail. Alternative/Balanced Thoughts: In this step, you switch to the role of judge. Weigh the evidence from both sides, and try to reach a fair and unbiased “verdict.” In other words, come up with a new thought or thoughts that represent a more balanced and realistic perspective. For example, in the I’m always screwing up case, you might draw these conclusions.

To get personal: I have noticed some lasting differences. I’m not free of depression / bipolar, but I used to be more self-conscious and now I’m not as harsh on myself. For that I’m grateful. Dr. Dennis Greenberger is a clinical psychologist and founder and director of the Anxiety and Depression Center in Newport Beach, California. That last one may seem out of place, but I included it because I wanted to point out that you can do thought records for positive as well as negative situations. Contrary to popular belief, CBT isn’t about “positive thinking.” It’s about finding more balanced and objective ways of seeing the world – which in some cases might actually mean seeing things less positively. For example, say you meet a new romantic prospect, and within a few days you’re thinking “This person is perfect for me!” and “I’ve finally found the love of my life!” That’s a case where a little less optimism would probably be a good thing. Let’s say your hot thought is I’m always screwing up, and let’s say you had that thought after making a fairly minor mistake. These statements would be considered “credible evidence”:The people my mistake impacted may have been a little upset, but there is no evidence they think I’m incompetent. The book includes worksheets and practical exercises to recognise and alter negative thought processes. Some of the ‘behavioural experiments’ may seem repetitive and cumbersome, so an ‘approach with perseverance’ attitude is worth adopting. After you’ve identified your moods, rate each one on a scale from 0% to 100% (don’t worry about nailing down an accurate percentage – just go with your gut).

The end result of a thought record is a more balanced view. However, in my experience, the process of completing one can be just as beneficial as the end result. When you complete a thought record, you turn your attention inward and notice your thoughts and feelings. We are often so out of touch with ourselves that we have no idea what we’re really thinking or feeling. The process helps you slow down and identify what’s going on. When you bring such awareness to your internal experience, there’s often a spontaneous shift in how you feel. Steps to Completing a Thought Record Dr. Christine Padesky is a clinical psychologist and co-founder of the Center for Cognitive Therapy in Huntington Beach, California, and co-creator of Strengths-Based CBT. General description You complete a thought record using a worksheet. There are many versions, but a tried-and-true one that’s easily accessible is from Mind Over Mood. This is a classic workbook that’s been around for 20 years (a second edition is coming out in October 2015). Winner (Second Place)— American Journal of Nursing Book of the Year Award, Consumer Health CategoryAutomatic Thoughts (and Images): List thoughts and images that pop up in relation to the situation. These thoughts can be so automatic that we don’t even know we’re thinking them. You can start by trying to remember what was going on in your mind right before your mood shifted. Here are a few typical examples of automatic thoughts: Firstly, if you’re looking into this book because of your battle with depression, anxiety, or something else distressing, I’m sorry. This may not be helpful to hear but in case it is, you’re not alone. Over a million people have used Mind Over Mood to alleviate--and in many cases eliminate--the suffering caused by depression and other psychological problems. Drs. Greenberger and Padesky are brilliant therapists whose thoroughly updated second edition is informed by the latest research and therapeutic innovations. Science has demonstrated incontrovertibly that changing the way we think about emotional situations is among the most powerful ways to change emotions themselves. Everyone struggling with challenging moods or emotions should read this book."--David H. Barlow, PhD, ABPP, coauthor of 10 Steps to Mastering Stress Next, rate how much you believe each new thought, on a scale from 0% to 100%. Often, how much you believe your alternative/balanced thoughts is related to how much your moods have changed in the next step.

Celebrate small improvements.If a thought record has worked, your moods will change in Step 7. However, there may not be a drastic change. You may go from, say, 100% to 70% on a mood – but that can be a big breakthrough. Remember, the goal isn’t to eliminate emotions altogether; it’s to gain a balanced perspective in which your emotions are proportional to the reality of the situation. Be proud of whatever progress you make. Rate Moods Now: Rate your moods from Step 2 again, as well as any new moods. If there hasn’t been a change for the better, review each step of your thought record and see if there are any places you could be more accurate, specific, or thorough. Tips for SuccessAs someone who has done cognitive-behavioural therapy with a therapist before, I can attest that this workbook pretty much is the therapy. It’s a fantastic book full of digestible information, concrete examples, real life stories to see the therapy in action, and techniques that are broken down into small steps. This is definitely a workbook, in that you can’t just read the book and expect to feel better; you have to do the thought records and other activities. There's the book and then there's the approach. The approach is explained well, the book doesn't distract from that. Some repetition, but that's important too. For me, this is a good starting point. I'll definitely try to photocopy the sheets so I have many on hand. The Reviewers on Goodreads seem to be either users of the book or perscribers of the book. I was hoping for some more meaty theoretical info, but apparently cognitive therapy is as straightforward as can be. Evidence that Does Not Support the Hot Thought: Now take off your defense lawyer hat and put on your prosecutor hat. It’s time for some cross-examination. Your hot thought likely has some holes in its story, and your job now is to find them. This step tends to be harder. Your evidence against I’m always screwing up might look something like this: Winner (Second Place)--American Journal of Nursing Book of the Year Award, Consumer Health Category I won’t lie and tell you the thought record is an easy or fun tool to learn. I once did a thought record in which my stressful situation in Step 1 was filling out a thought record! Changing your thinking is a process that takes time, awareness, and energy. But the payoff for your hard work is profound – you can actually restructure the way your mind works (in fact, in CBT the process of changing your habitual ways of thinking is called cognitive restructuring). Over time you’ll automatically think in more balanced ways and have less extreme moods. Your usual hot thoughts either won’t arise, or you’ll dismiss or dispute them as soon as they rear their head.