Thought Goes A Long Way

In light of the environment I found myself facing at home upon arrival, I thought it may be beneficial to any individual reading this, mentally stable or not, to elucidate the impacts that cognitions have on man's  mood and behaviour. Our thoughts predicate our emotions, and, consequently, our behavviours. Habitually, negative assimilations are scarce and usually influenced by negative situations, which is rational. However, when these thoughts are overwhelming, they can lead to negative emotions, and, therefore, actions. This is seen a lot in people with mental disorders such as depression. Psychologists regularly adhibit a treatment called Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.

CBT is a "short-term form of psychotherapy based on the concept that the way we think about things affects how we feel emotionally. Cognitive therapy focuses on present thinking, behavior, and communication rather than on past experiences and is oriented toward problem solving." It is used to treat mental disorders such as depression, anxiety, eating disorders, OCD, PTSD, drug dependence, manic depression, and other conditions, but also can be useful for circumstances with high stress. Practical examples of when this technique could be used are: in preparation for an exam, test, job interview, performance, or any extremely stressful situation. If one were to say, for example, "I am sure to bomb this job interview. I'm not qualified enough as others, I have less experience, and less free time. I am going to do badly," this would effect the way you present yourself during said conference. Coerced by negative thoughts and inhibiting your confidence,  your performance will decline and it will be increasingly likely that you will not seem to be the correct candidate for the job. If, however, you assure yourself that you are represent the perfect, infallible worker and will have no problem convincing the interviewer that he may as well send the people waiting home, your performance will remarkably improve. Although your impression is only a portion of the abilities you need in any job, it will inevitably have an effect. Even you have an enormous workload, telling yourself that you will get it all done on-time will aid your motivation to fulfill said cognition. You don't need anything wrong with you to be able to influence the way you think, feel, and act. CBT  "is the most effective psychological treatment for moderate and severe depression [and] one of the most effective treatments for conditions where anxiety or depression is the main problem." Observing its effectiveness, it couldn't hurt to give it a try yourself on a bad or stressful day.