Part 3: Effective Coping Skills For a coping technique to be effective, it must do the following

PART 3: Effective Coping Skills

• For a coping technique to be effective, it must do the following:

• Increase awareness of the problem

• Start information processing

• Modify behavior

• Work toward a peaceful resolution

Cognitive Restructuring Chapter 8

“Everything can be taken away from man but one thing—the last human freedom, to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances.”

• “Everything can be taken away from man but one thing—the last human freedom, to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances.”

• —Viktor Frankl

Perception and Interpretation

• All stimuli received by the brain are processed through interpretation and classified as negative, neutral, or positive; this process is called perception.

Albert Ellis

• The premise of Ellis’s work was that stress-related behaviors are initiated by perceptions and that these self-defeating perceptions can be changed.

Cognitive Restructuring

• Cognitive restructuring means changing a perception from a negative interpretation to a neutral or positive one, making it less stressful.

• This process is also called reappraisal, relabeling, reframing, and attitude adjustment.

The Information-Processing Model

• Sensory input

• Sensory manipulation

• Cognitive/behavioral output

• Feedback system

Toxic Thoughts

• Negative thoughts are often called toxic thoughts.

• Research has now substantiated the hypothesis that negative thoughts can suppress the immune system.

• Borysenko calls creating negative thoughts awfulizing, and explains that the way to change these thoughts is through reframing.

Optimism and Luck (An Attitude)

• Maximize your opportunities

• Listen to your intuition

• Focus on the positive

• Find the good in every bad situation

A Four-Stage Process for Cognitive Restructuring

• Awareness

• Reappraisal of the situation

• Adoption and substitution

• Evaluation

Additional Tips for Cognitive Restructuring

• Initiate a relaxation technique to calm your mind

• Take responsibility for your own thoughts

• Fine-tune your expectations

• Give yourself positive affirmations

• Accentuate the positive

Examples of Positive Affirmation Statements

• “I am calm and relaxed.”

• “I am healthy and whole.”

• “I am a loveable person.”

• “I am a college graduate.”

Best Application of Cognitive Restructuring

• Use this technique when you find yourself continually whining

• Use positive affirmations to boost self-esteem throughout the day

• Use positive affirmations during stressful times (e.g., traffic, exams, etc.)

Study Guide Questions

• 1. What is the thinking process model?

• 2. How can you best describe toxic thoughts?

• 3. List the steps to initiate cognitive restructuring (reframing).