That our thoughts, beliefs, attitudes and behaviors shape how we feel (e.g., happy, relaxed, anxious, depressed, joyous, angry, sad, etc.) is the underlying assumption of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Over the next few weeks, the Well-Being Wednesday series will focus on CBT related tools to help navigate unhealthy and painful feelings and emotions. We begin this CBT journey with a look at cognitive distortions: negative and often inaccurate thought patterns that reinforce feelings and behaviors that are unhealthy and unproductive. These thoughts include such things as:

"I suck!"

"I can't do anything right."

"I'm an imposter."

"Everything in my life is horrible."

"She thinks I'm a jerk."

"I only got that raise because my boss feels sorry for me."

If you have uttered one or more of the above to yourself--I've borrowed from my own personal cognitive distortions--you are likely playing with cognitive distortions which are summarized in the image below. Identifying and naming/labeling those cognitive distortions is the necessary first step to changing our negative thoughts, attitudes and beliefs to subsequently change how we feel about ourselves, our lives and those around us. While we CBT will be the focus of Well-Being Wednesday over the next couple of weeks, you can learn more about it and how to address cognitive distortions by visiting positivepsychology.com by clicking on this hyperlinked text.