Lightbulb in the sunset. CBT therapist in North Carolina can help

Thoughts are our ideas, opinions, perspectives, interpretations of things, attitude, mindset, and beliefs. They are shaped by our genetics and life experiences.Beliefs are more deeply ingrained than moment-to-moment thoughts, but they are the undercurrent that drive a lot of the thoughts we have and the lens through which we look at the world. 

Every moment of the day, we may have several thoughts going through our minds. We are aware of some but may not be aware of others. They can happen quickly and automatically like other habits we may form. 

Thoughts can affect our mood, our body, and our actions. Being stuck in a traffic jam may lead you to be irritable or happy. The situation is the same but your thoughts about it can be different. You may think: “I can’t stand it. I will be late for my meeting.” Or “It’s no big deal. Now I can listen to this audio book more.” Then your body reacts differently to be either more tense or more relaxed due to the different emotions being triggered. Then your behaviors may be different as you may exhibit road rage or show more tolerance and kindness towards others.

Thoughts are not facts. They can be helpful or harmful.

Just because you believe in something strongly, doesn’t mean it is helpful or right.

Just because you have certain thoughts repeatedly, doesn’t mean they are based on reality.

Often times, distorted thinking will lead to unhelpful thoughts, which in turn lead to emotional turmoils, more relationship conflicts, and difficulty dealing with problems.

Thoughts are always with us, so we can use them to our benefit by choosing to focus on positive thoughts, changing unhelpful thoughts, and redirecting our attention.