Fancy A Cup Of CBT?

nev@tynedalenlp.co.uk
(07547 478858)

Something goes wrong...someone is upset... there is a stressful situation – how long will it be before someone says ‘let’s have a nice cup of tea’?

It appears that the British cuppa is a panacea for all ills, and now there is some evidence to say that there is something efficacious in sitting back and having that cup of tea!

A psychologist at City University, London has found that drinking tea reduces stress and makes people feel calmer. He stated that tea drinkers felt that they had been cared for, evoking memories of when they were younger when tea had been offered as a salve to difficulties and problems.

However, it is more the act of making, than of drinking which may provide the greater benefit. As people turn to putting the kettle on and embarking on a ritualised sequence of events, they are allowing the mind to be distracted away from the problem and into something else which carries with it the deeper connotations of comfort and security. Making tea ‘requires time and forethought. You have to stop what you are doing and you are usually doing it for someone else’.

We have here a basic principle found in some CBT techniques, particularly those dealing with stressful and worrisome situations.
When you find that thoughts are crowding in, and you know they are not very helpful, no matter what you do they don’t seem to want to go away. It may be a problem you are trying to solve or you may just be worrying unnecessarily but can’t help yourself. When this happens, a good thing to do is to STOP! Just stop whatever it is you’re doing – or trying to do – and do something else instead. Something unrelated which requires a little bit of thought. This could be making a cup of tea.

Distractions are wonderful. How many times have you seen the benefit of distracting a child winding themselves up for another tantrum about nothing in particular. It works on adults too! And, learning to distract ourselves can be a really useful way to un-stick the many stuck issues we may be experiencing.

As your mind wanders you’re also allowing your unconscious mind to continue working, unheeded by all that conscious wrangling and rationalisation: The light bulb going on; the ‘Oh! That’s it!’ moment. Sometimes, the less we think about something, the clearer it becomes.

So, the next time you put the kettle on, notice what you notice. And, then when you’re stressed and in need of respite, do it again, and notice what you notice...

...It may not be a recipe for world peace, but just a small peace of mind can help smooth the stormiest of waters...

(For more click here www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news)