Mindful Reflection: CBT Techniques For A Balanced Annual Review
As a new year begins, we have the opportunity to reflect on ourselves and plan our future. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can be a powerful tool for evaluating our past experiences and developing new, more productive ways of thinking for 2024. Cognitive behavioral psychologist Elina Landman explains how we can use seven CBT techniques and principles to analyze the past year and plan for the future.
At the end of the year we ask ourselves important questions: Have we achieved the goals we set? How full of happiness were our days? Conclusions provide a unique opportunity to learn valuable lessons that can improve our quality of life.
In situations where we are dissatisfied with the results, CBT offers an excellent tool to analyze and question our thought patterns. These situations can occur in different areas of life: health, career, relationships, personal development and leisure.
The focus of CBT is on recognizing our dominant thought patterns. Rigid thinking often prevails when we fail to achieve what we desire and question our abilities and worth. Instead of rigid thinking, we can adopt a growth mindset. This means that we are open to developing any skills, that we build resilience in the face of difficulties, that we acknowledge our mistakes, and that we strive for new, creative tasks.
I invite you to familiarize yourself with the seven principles of CBT, which provide essential tools for moving from limiting, rigid thinking to more flexible and productive growth thinking. Let's examine each of these principles in detail:
All or Nothing vs. Analyzing Existing Skills: Rigid thinking leads us to believe that if we don't have all the skills we need, we should give up. In contrast, a growth mindset involves analyzing and developing existing skills and recognizes that learning and development is an ongoing process.
Others as Judges vs. Others as Resources: Here, rigid thinking leads to fear of judgment, which causes people to avoid communication. The growth mindset sees other people not as judges, but as resources: opportunities to learn, receive feedback, and support.
Competitive Comparison vs. Constructive Comparison: Rigid thinking involves comparing yourself to others, which leads to feelings of inadequacy. The growth mindset promotes constructive comparison, where comparison with others serves as a source of inspiration and development ideas.
Undermining your own efforts vs. recognizing your efforts: This principle emphasizes the importance of not underestimating your own efforts, but rather recognizing and valuing them. A growth mindset helps recognize and appreciate the effort and work put in, even if the results are not immediately visible.
Excuses for Lack of Progress vs. Accurate Assessment of Progress: Instead of looking for excuses for lack of progress, a growth mindset aims to objectively evaluate achievements and progress, even when expressed in small percentages.
Hiding Mistakes vs. Analyzing Mistakes: A fixed mindset tends to hide mistakes, while a growth mindset recognizes mistakes as an essential source of learning and personal development and suggests analyzing and learning from them.
Choosing goals that are too difficult or too easy versus choosing optimal goals: Rigid thinking often leads to choosing goals that are either too difficult or too easy. Growth mindset, on the other hand, aims to find optimal, realistic goals that motivate and support the development process.
Comparing fixed and growth mindsets allows us to better understand how our beliefs shape our lives. Instead of fearing mistakes and avoiding difficulties, we can see them as opportunities for growth and development.
Just as we appreciate personal greetings, each of us deserves a gift for ourselves. Start the New Year with a self-written card - a symbol of the path to new successes and positive changes. It serves as a reminder that our future is not just a series of coincidences, but the result of conscious decisions and efforts.
Let the principles of CBT guide you on your path to a harmonious and meaningful life. Allow yourself to leave behind old beliefs from the past year and start the new year with fresh energy, willingness to change and optimism. Take positive action to create a better future and be proactive to achieve your goals. Believe in yourself and take action.
