Tools/Techniques

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Baby Steps

If you feel overwhelmed you may be falling into the Magnification distortion and/or you may be taking on too much, too soon.  Think of your goal and break all the things you need to do to achieve it into the smallest steps possible.  Then arrange them in order, from first step to last.  You can tell if the steps are small enough because you will feel “OK, I can easily do that” when you look at it.  Keep breaking a step up until you feel that way about all the steps.  Then, look at the first small step and write next to it a time you can do it today.  Then do it and feel better.

Example: You think to yourself: "I've got to get a new job and I just feel so overwhelmed by this whole thing--I don't know where to start and I just feel like giving up already."  Getting a new job is a big task.  It's like climbing a mountain...you can't do it in one step.  If you focus on it as one big "thing" you'll have a hard time getting started.  So, break it into small pieces--that's the first "baby step".

What kind of job/s do I want?  I'll make a list of 2 -3 jobs at 10 a.m. today.

Who do I know who already works in any jobs like this or knows someone who does?  Make a list of 4 - 5 people.

Which one of these people can I call first to ask for their help or suggestions about my job search in this field?  Put a #1 beside their name and then put the rest of the list in order of who to call second, third, fourth, etc.

Step 1:

Step 2:

Step 3:

Step 4:

Call the first one and ask for help/ideas.  Ask him/her who they think you could call about the kind of job you want.  Keep calling, asking, writing down new names and numbers until you get a lead on a job. 

When you start to get discouraged, look at the calls your have already made and say "getting a job is the result of a series of lots of steps. See the ones you've taken so far? Tomorrow take one or two more."

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The CBT Toolbox

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Coastal Center for Cognitive Therapy, PA