The Cycle of Unhelpful Thoughts

The way we think, feel and behave are all linked and continuously affecting one another.

Sometimes though, we develop patterns of thoughts or behaviours that are unhelpful. And because these can affect how we feel (and how we feel can in turn affect how we think and behave) it's easy to find ourselves in a vicious cycle.

Many of us don't realise that we can influence this process ourselves and improve our mental health by doing so.

Challenging and learning to replace these thoughts is one of the best ways to help us deal with stress and anxiety, improve how we sleep and really boost our mood.

In time, this can really make a difference to our mental health and wellbeing. We call this the Catch it, Check it, Change it technique.

Catch the negative or unhelpful thoughts as they occur, then take a step back to Check it and examine the situation, then see if you can Change the unhelpful thought for a neutral or more positive one.