Years ago (circa 2010), I resisted buying a smart phone because I didn’t want to feel too “connected” to others. I didn’t want to see my emails as they arrived in my inbox all day long. I didn’t want to be able to browse Facebook while I rode the BART train. Having a cell phoneContinue reading “How Connected Are You, Really?”
Category Archives: mindfuness
Build Your Flexible Thinking Muscles With This Simple Tool
I recently wrote about all or nothing thinking (also known as “black or white thinking”), and the negative impact that rigid, inflexible thought patterns can have on a person’s well-being. In the aforementioned blog post, I discussed mindfulness as a powerful, key tool for challenging these types of distorted thoughts. In short: by using mindfulness,Continue reading “Build Your Flexible Thinking Muscles With This Simple Tool”
The Courage to Have a “Good Enough” Holiday Season
Lots of people feel down or angst-ridden during the holiday season, and many will say that this malaise stems not from too much fruitcake consumption (surprisingly), but from our expectations – of ourselves, others, and the holidays themselves. The fact that society and the media constantly pump us full of unhealthy messages regarding how weContinue reading “The Courage to Have a “Good Enough” Holiday Season”
When Relaxing Is the Hardest Task of All
At the end of yoga class last week, as we were all transitioning to Savasana (also known as Corpse Pose, the part of class in which you lie down and allow yourself to rest and relax after a period of self-exertion) our teacher said to us: “Savasana is one of the hardest exercises we doContinue reading “When Relaxing Is the Hardest Task of All”
The #1 Tool for Challenging All or Nothing Thinking
With me it’s all er nuthin’Is it all er nuthin’ with you?It cain’t be “in between”It cain’t be “now and then”No half and half romance will do! – Lyrics by Richard Rodgers, from the musical Oklahoma! When I was in the sixth grade, my class staged a production of the musical Oklahoma! It’s amazing theContinue reading “The #1 Tool for Challenging All or Nothing Thinking”
“Thought Records Don’t Work on Me.” The Second Secret Weapon That Interrupts Distorted Thinking
“Thought records don’t work on me.” Wanna know who said that? Me. So why did I write an entire post on how to complete a thought record last week? Because they’re an extremely important tool that can help you challenge distorted thoughts. 100 percent. AND… A thought record is not a magic pill that willContinue reading ““Thought Records Don’t Work on Me.” The Second Secret Weapon That Interrupts Distorted Thinking”
Using Thought Records to Challenge Distorted Thinking: A Step-By-Step Guide
A thought record is a major tool in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) that guides us, step by step, through the process of challenging distorted, automatic thoughts. If you’ve been following my recent blog posts, you’ll know that in order to even recognize automatic thoughts as they’re occurring, you first need to practice mindfulness. You’ll alsoContinue reading “Using Thought Records to Challenge Distorted Thinking: A Step-By-Step Guide”
A Distorted Reality is NOT a Necessity to Be Free: How Cognitive Distortions Hold You Back
Sorry, Elliott Smith. I’ve been a huge fan of yours for ages, but in this post I’m going to talk about how our distorted thoughts make us anything but free. In last week’s post, I introduced the concept of automatic thoughts and explained the CBT principle that our thoughts lead to emotions, and emotions leadContinue reading “A Distorted Reality is NOT a Necessity to Be Free: How Cognitive Distortions Hold You Back”
Harnessing the Power of Automatic Thoughts
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) operates on the general principle that our thoughts influence our feelings, and our feelings influence our behaviors. Thoughts –> Feelings –> Behaviors For example, a person could have the thought: “I suck at my job.” This creates feelings of sadness, anger, hopelessness. Now in this negative emotional state, in the personContinue reading “Harnessing the Power of Automatic Thoughts”
GET STARTED: Mindfulness Meditation for Writing Your Thesis or Dissertation
Ten years ago, I found myself sitting in a small room with my dissertation chair and five classmates, each of us practically squirming in our plastic seats with anticipation and anxiety. It was our very first meeting, and it was time for us to go around the room and tell everyone about our intended dissertationContinue reading “GET STARTED: Mindfulness Meditation for Writing Your Thesis or Dissertation”
Gina Davis, PsyD 