With anxiety being one of the most common mental health disorders, treatment options are important to meet the diverse needs of those requiring help.

One of the more favorable options has become cognitive behavioral therapy or CBT. Research has shown CBT to be an effective method for treating anxiety in as little as eight sessions. The perk is that medication is not required for this approach, which can be significant for many people.

Whether you’re new to CBT or have a basic understanding, here are four ways CBT can help treat anxiety.

1. Breathing

When anxiety hits, one of the first things that may become altered is your breathing. Shallow breathing can make you feel more anxious and stressed, so controlled breathing is important.

Part of CBT is increasing awareness of your body and its functioning. Breathing is the main one. One strategy used in the process of CBT is calm breathing. Slower and deeper breathing can help reduce the effects of anxiety, making it easier to manage.

2. Progressive Muscle Relaxation

Similar to breathing becoming irregular during a period of anxiety, your body can also experience tension. Another strategy used in CBT is progressive muscle relaxation. You strategically tense muscle groups and then focus on relaxing them.

Being able to effectively take control over your body, especially in times of anxiety and stress, is key to overcoming the situation. It might take some time and practice, but adopting this technique can truly help with your anxiety.

3. Realistic Thinking

Sometimes with anxiety, your negative thoughts take over your brain and, as a result, can impact your behaviors. Your thoughts drive how you feel, how you respond, and how you view the world around you. The first thing is understanding how all of this relates to each other.

After you’ve gained an understanding of the impact of your thinking habits, CBT will help you challenge that negativity. A therapist can help you challenge a specific thought and establish the consequences of that thought.

Once you’re able to challenge your negative belief, the next step is to replace it with something more positive and realistic. Positive may not be rainbow and butterflies, but just something better than what you started with, something more realistic.

You may not be completely in tune with paying attention to your thoughts, so more awareness can help you track trends in your thought patterns. As you become more skilled in monitoring your thoughts, you can efficiently challenge them and work through your anxiety quickly.

4. Exposure

It is human nature to want to avoid things or situations that cause you anxiety. Consistently avoiding these things can detract from your ability to manage and work past your anxiety, though.

During CBT, you will have the opportunity to face your fears through a process called exposure. This may be the more important part of how CBT helps manage anxiety.

With exposure, you begin to face fearful situations to reduce the overall effects gradually. The goal is to have less and less anxiety when faced with a specific stressor.

You will start with a minor object or situation to ease the exposure process. Moving too quickly or intensely can result in not wanting to return to the CBT approach. When you conquer the smaller situations, you can move on to larger-scale ones more successfully.

CBT will take a number of sessions, and everyone’s pace and paths are different. All of the techniques used within this intervention may require practice and repetition. It is ok to be vulnerable. There is hope for overcoming your anxiety. If you are struggling, schedule a consultation with us today or check out our Anxiety therapy page for more information.