DISCOVER YOUR ZEN
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy – Using CBT to Change Your Life Forever
The CBT techniques we’ve reviewed might sound quite simple, but this is some of the most powerful stuff you will perhaps ever learn. This is all about being more aware of your own mind and once again, taking control of that in order to change the way you want to think and feel.
You can use CBT to overcome any phobia or any problem. If you’re afraid of heights, assess why and then start to address those fears and to reprogram the way you think about them.
Likewise, if you find that you’re not great at meeting women/men, you can likely practice in your mind and force yourself to face those fears.
But you can take CBT further still and impact other areas of your life. Here are some good examples…
Sleep Soundly
If you’re someone who struggles to get to sleep, then you’ll know that this can end up impacting every other aspect of your life and leave you tired, stressed and even unhealthy.
The problem? The later it gets, the more stressed and anxious you become. The solution is to apply a little CBT. This time, the focus is going to be on identifying your thought processes and then seeing what would be more useful in that given moment.
The problem is trying to “force” yourself to sleep. When you do this, you create stress and when you’re stressed, you can’t sleep. Instead, try reminding yourself that it doesn’t matter if you get to sleep – as long as you’re resting. Resting is good for you no matter what, so just lie down and enjoy being comfy. Focus on it. You’ll be asleep in minutes.
Overcome Anxiety
CBT is incredibly effective for treating anxiety attacks. Somewhat ironically, one of the biggest dangers with panic attacks is that they make us stressed. Because we’re stressed about anxiety, this makes us become even more stressed and we work ourselves into a fluster that can end with fainting and hyperventilation.
The solution? You have to just acknowledge it for what it is and allow it to pass. Say, “This is a panic attack; I must let it run its course,” and then just allow it to happen. Go about your business as you normally would and don’t try and do anything about it.
You can also do something similar when trying to be less stressed generally – and especially when trying to calm yourself before an interview. Instead of worrying that you’re stressed, just remind yourself that stress can be useful.
Gratitude
Another powerful practice you can apply is a “gratitude attitude.” This is like CBT, except in this case you’re not trying to combat a fear or stress. Instead, you’re simply going to change your focus again – and this time you’re focusing on what makes you happy and what you’re grateful for.
This is a great change because a lot of us are so caught up in everything that’s wrong, that we never think about how much is right.
Take a moment at the end of each day and write down the things you are grateful for. Your partner maybe? Your job? Your house? Your dog? The computer game you’re playing? There’s so much to be happy about but a lot of the time we miss it. Take your new ability to change the way you think and focus on it. Suddenly everything becomes happier.
Entering Flow
Finally, how about using CBT to enter flow at will?
Remember what we said? Flow is a natural response to what your body and mind deem a highly important stimulus. What defines the importance of a stimulus? Your interpretation of it. So remind yourself why this is important, tell yourself you need to concentrate. MAKE yourself excited. And engage!
TODAY’S ACTION STEPS:
1) You should be exercising according to your planned routine. (You can use the workout plan I provided, if it works for you.) If you’re not ready to go FULL OUT with the workout plan yet…that’s OK. If you’ve been trying out my suggestion of creating a habit, then you may want to add on another step if you haven’t done so yet. Read through the Week 4 – Day 2 module if you’re not sure how to create this “habit chain.”
So…every time you wake up, or finish washing your dishes after dinner, or whatever that regular activity is that you choose as the one to trigger your workouts…put on your workout shoes. (That’s the first link in the chain.)
Then do the next step you’ve been practicing. If your chosen workout is taking a walk after dinner each night, maybe you are heading to the front door and grabbing a jacket. If you want to do a home workout from the exercise plan I’m giving you, then maybe you’re putting on some workout clothes – a top and a bottom. (That’s the second link in the chain.)
NOW, do the next step. (That’s the third link in the chain.) If you plan to go for a walk, just step outside your front door and stand on your porch…and celebrate! If you’ll be doing a home workout, then grab your mobile phone (to access the Fitness App) and stand in your home exercise area…then celebrate! Whatever that next step is just do that. Every day. Every time you put on your workout shoes…AFTER every time you do that trigger activity (washing dishes, waking up in the morning, etc). Remember to celebrate every time you get to the end of this “habit chain.”
If you need a little more time to reinforce those first 2 links in the “habit chain” (e.g. putting on your workout shoes, then putting on some workout clothes), that’s fine. Just keep doing that and don’t worry about adding on right now.
2) If you already completed the Week 2 Workout Plan, then you are doing the Week 3 plan this week. Log in to the Fitness App on your COMPUTER – https://doctorvenus.com/app-login/ – to access the Week 3 Workout Plan.
3) If you already received the Week 1 (and 2) meal plan, then the Week 3 (and 4) meal plan has been uploaded to your Fitness App. You should be going through the Week 4 Meal Plan (which is the same as Week 3) now. Log in to the Fitness App so you can review the Week 5 Meal Plan; begin planning, shopping, and preparing for it because it will start on Monday.
4) Do a sitting meditation for 5 minutes. Spend the 5 minutes sitting in a quiet space. Just relax with your eyes closed. No goal. No stress. The plan is to do this every day.
5) Mark your calendar for our next coaching call on Thursday, December 7, at 8:15pm ET (5:15pm PT). The call-in number and Zoom link will be posted on our Home Page and in your daily email the day before the call. A replay will be made available for those who can’t make the call.
6) If you have any questions about anything…let me know in the Facebook group – https://www.facebook.com/groups/discoveryourzen/
Previous ACTION STEPS:
(Not a complete list, but some important highlights.)
1) Log in to the Fitness App on your COMPUTER – https://doctorvenus.com/app-login/ – and go to the FORMS tab. If you haven’t completed the Client Agreement form and the PAR-Q form from Day 1’s ACTION STEPS, do that today and sign them. Be sure to click SAVE when you’re done. (You can not receive the meal plan and workout plan when they are released until we have those completed forms on file.)
2) If you haven’t done so yet, send an email to team@DoctorVenus.com and state whether you want a vegetarian or non-vegetarian meal plan. It will be sent to your Fitness App by the next day.
3) If you haven’t done so yet, send an email to team@DoctorVenus.com and let me know whether you want an exercise plan for weight loss (focused on burning calories) or for building/maintaining your mass. So you just need to indicate whether you want a BURN or BUILD program. It will be sent to your Fitness App by the next day.
4) Download the Set Your Goals Checklist and complete it. CLICK HERE to download.
5) Download the Program Planner that you can start using, if you wish. CLICK HERE to download.
6) Download the Kitchen Clean Out handout and use it to guide the clean out of your kitchen BEFORE you start your meal plan. CLICK HERE to download.