Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a common treatment for those suffering from different mental health experiences or problems. It focuses on teaching how your beliefs, thoughts, and attitudes, can affect how you’re feeling and how you act.
By attending regular CBT therapy, you learn how to cope with different problems you are having and might have in the future. Paired with meditation, CBT therapy often has even better results, helping sufferers acknowledge their thoughts, without passing judgment on them.
Benefits of Combining CBT with Meditation
While having cognitive behavior therapy it’s normal for a patient to feel uncomfortable exploring difficult emotions. Meditation encourages positive thinking by observing thoughts, realizing that everything is temporary, and refraining from making judgments.
Hard times are easier to bear when you know they will pass. Meditation also helps to relieve stress, lower anxiety, improve self-awareness and boost self-esteem. CBT and meditation combined offer all the tools you need to let go of negativity, instead of letting it feed the mental health problem.
What Can CBT and Meditation Help with?
CBT and meditation are effective for those who suffer from depression. They can also offer great results for those suffering with:
- Low mood
- Unhappiness
- Bipolar disorder
- Negative thinking
- Anxiety disorders
- Racing thoughts
- Intrusive thoughts
- Depression relapse and resistant depression
How to Combine CBT with Meditation?
In a CBT session, you will explore your thoughts and feelings with a therapist. Outside of the session, you may be asked to complete CBT worksheets and keep a diary.
Mindfulness meditation is another tool that can be used outside of your CBT sessions. To get started you need to:
- Find a comfortable seat. This can be on a meditation cushion, on a chair or even lying on the bed if that makes you more comfortable.
- Keep the spine straight. If sitting upright, keep your back straight while allowing a natural curvature in the base of the spine. Let your shoulder blades fall together and keep yourchest open.
- Let the hands drop onto the top of the legs. Keep your upper arms by your side and rest your hands with the palms upwards on top of your legs.
- Close your eyes and focus on your breath.__ Let your eyelids drop shut and start taking slow, controlled breaths__.
- Follow your breath as it goes in and out. Be aware of the physical sensation of breathing. Notice the temperature of the air and the rise and fall of your belly.
- Observe thoughts without judgment. You may find your mind wandering and that’s ok. Observe your thoughts without judgment and gently bring your attention back to breathing.
Meditation is the perfect partner for CBT therapy. Try the BetterSleep app for guided meditations and curated sleep sounds, as you work on becoming the best you again.
