Cognitive Behavioral Therapy For Dummies Cheat Sheet

You can help yourself out of depression by practicing some well-researched CBT strategies. Try these simple techniques and take the first steps toward making depression a thing of the past:

• Take a compassionate and self-accepting mindset to reduce any shame or guilt you may feel.
• Reduce negative rumination by focusing your attention on the external environment and the here and now.
• Recognize your negative thoughts as symptoms of depression, not facts.
• Gradually reintroduce rewarding, value-based pursuits into your life by scheduling your activities in a manageable way.

Facing your fears can leave you experiencing not only relief but also a surprising amount of freedom. With the following steps, you can begin to confront your fears and increase your belief in your ability to overcome them:

1. Make a hierarchy of the situations you fear.
   Start with your least dreaded situation and progress to your most dreaded situation.
2. Make a list of your safety behaviors — things you do that you think keep you safe but really keep you stuck in fear.
3. Work your way up the hierarchy, dropping your safety behaviors and remaining in the situation.
4. Stay in the situation until your anxiety decreases by at least half without your doing anything to try to control it.
5. Repeat your exposure to your fearful situation over and over again until your fear lessens.
6. Record your results.

Making some easy lifestyle changes can help you to keep your health at its best. Here’s a short list of simple tips and suggestions that can help you reach and keep up optimum health. Take a look and give them a try.

• Eat well and eat regularly. Avoid fast foods and junk foods with high salt, sugar, and fat content. Feed your body with wholesome stuff. Make an effort to cook or learn to cook; a dinner as simple as baked chicken and steamed frozen vegetables can be a great low-effort and healthy meal.
• Get lots of exercise. Find sports that you enjoy and join a gym or sports group. Do enough to work up a sweat. Exercise releases a lot of feel-good chemicals called endorphins into your system.
• Establish a good sleep pattern. Develop a bedtime routine that gets your body into sleep mode. Try to get up at around the same time each day so that your bedtime also becomes consistent.
• Strike a work/life balance. Be sure to make time in your schedule for leisure activities.
• Pursue interests. Get yourself absorbed in activities that you enjoy and find rewarding.
• Look after your living environment. Make your home a place you like to spend time in; maybe do some essential DIY or redecorate.
• Relish your relationships. Spend time with people and socialize on a regular basis. Pay attention to the significant others in your life. If your social circle is limited, make an effort to join clubs and meet new people.
• Hold a self-accepting attitude. Give yourself permission to be humanly imperfect and expect the same from others. Turn down your perfectionist tendencies or unrelenting standards.
• Aim high. Set yourself goals to overcome any emotional disturbance or for personal development. Many people find that they’re happiest when they’re working toward a goal that reflects their values.
• Have a laugh. Humor really can be the best medicine. Try not to take an overly serious view of yourself and life: Find the funny side in everyday situations.