What Would I Say?
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Evan Rosenau
It is all my fault.
Many of us may have had similar thoughts throughout our lives. Thoughts full of blame, thoughts full of anger. Thoughts that may not be filled with fact. These thoughts are detrimental to our mental health; these thoughts can be hard to overcome, and seeing their flaws is a whole other challenge.
Yet, there are skills used around the world to do just that. CBT, or cognitive behavior therapy, although often used with the help of a licensed professional, has some tips we can learn from.
First, know what to look for. In order to make a change, you have to know what to change. If you are always expecting the worst, ignoring positives, thinking in blacks and whites, or blaming yourself, you might need a reformat.
So, practice catching these thoughts. If you’re feeling down, think about your internal dialogue and if it fits one of those categories. If it does, good job! You don’t even have to try to make a change at first, simply catching them is a great first step.
Then, try to make a change! You can start by simply asking yourself, how likely is it that the worst will happen, or how much evidence there is to support your negativity, and are there any positives? One of the biggest questions you can ask yourself is, if a friend told me what I was thinking right now, how would I respond? Most of the time, you probably wouldn’t be as harsh.
Now, covering every single tip or trick in the book is a lot for one article. However, if you are in genuine need of some assistance, the United Kingdom's National Health Service has some great, more specialized, resources. As with everything, practice makes perfect, and changing your entire mindset can take time. However, we hope one of these tips proved beneficial to you. Have an amazing week from us at Charger Press!
Remember, you’re not alone, if you or anyone you know is experiencing a mental health emergency, contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 9-8-8. Or, if you or anyone you know is struggling with mental health issues, you can visit 988lifeline.org, Stress and Coping Resources, and reach out to a trusted adult at home or at school.
