Creating New Habits with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Our thoughts, feelings, and actions are closely linked, positively or negatively. In Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), this is known as the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) triangle. Each component of the triangle influences the others. We can change the third if we change one or two on the triangle. The best way to make changes is to work them into your daily routine by creating new habits.

The Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Triangle

In the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy triangle, the top point of the triangle signifies thoughts. In most cases, your thoughts are behind your emotions and behaviors. You have a negative or intrusive thought and begin feeling bad. This emotion then leads to some type of action. The action could be negative or harmful. The action could be inaction, such as going to bed or procrastinating.

The point on the right side of the triangle represents emotions. Emotions are much harder to change on their own. You cannot shut off an emotion as quickly as you can stop a behavior or change your thinking.

The left-hand point on the triangle is the behaviors component. Your thoughts and emotions influence how you react. However, these components also have arrows linking them backward and around the triangle. Your behavior can affect your emotions and your thoughts.

Here’s how the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy triangle works: if an old friend snubs you out in public, you may think they no longer like you. You rack your memory, trying to figure out what you did wrong. You blame yourself. You feel sad and depressed, maybe angry. You come home and block your old friend on social media and then write a passive-aggressive post about being snubbed. That is how your thoughts and emotions influence your behavior.

On the other hand, behaviors can influence thoughts and feelings. Perhaps you have a habit of stopping at a fast-food place every day after work for a small meal before coming home to cook dinner. You are seeking temporary relief from stress, so your brain surges with hormones to make you feel happy when you eat your combo meal while parked in the lot.

However, after your meal, you feel sick physically and emotionally. You know your blood pressure and heart rate are high, and your weight is creeping into the obese category. You think you are not worthy of good things and will never change. You come home upset, frustrated, or sad. Your behavior has changed your thoughts and emotions.

Create New Habits

It may take some trial and error to create a new habit. That is normal when you change your daily routine. Using the example above, to stop eating fast food as a reprieve after work, replace the habit with something else.

You could make yourself a cup of coffee or hot cocoa at work to enjoy on the drive home or change your route to bypass the fast-food places or you could limit your exposure and give yourself a treat to look forward to by only allowing yourself to stop at the fast food place on Fridays.

Take the behaviors you want to change and list new habits you can form. Make these new habits small to start and practice for at least a month before adding or changing the habit.

Getting Help

Creating new habits can be challenging, and you won’t be perfect with your new behaviors, at least not for a while. Contact our center today to connect with a counselor who can help you with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and changing your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.