Emotion, Cognition and Behavior: The Interplay Mentoring CPD & Supervision

Emotion Is a mental and physiological state associated with a wide variety of feelings, thoughts and behaviours. It is a prime detriment of subjective well- being and appears to play a central role in most human activities (Wikipedia, 2009) –Feeling – conscious, subjective experience of emotion –Thought – is a higher cognitive function which allows human to model the world and deal with it accordingly – it allows us to consider how to behave –Behaviour – is action or reaction to environment and can be conscious, unconscious overt, covert, voluntary or involuntary

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy How we behave reflects how we think about situations. How we feel about something has an impact on what we think and visa versa How we feel affects our behaviour Anxiety –Is what we feel when we perceive we are under threat or that we are able to come with a threatening situation.

Exercise One Aim – to identify aspects of anxious thought, feelings and behaviours –Identify a ‘stressor’ – ie giving a presentation –Draw a ‘spider’ chart for behaviours you demonstrate when you are stressed –Draw a ‘spider’ chart for thoughts you have when you are stressed –Draw a ‘spider’ chart for feelings you have when you are stressed I need a job I’ll have no money I will not be able to pay my bills I will get into debt Getting into Debt is bad I will be a Failure if I Get into debt If I get into Debt, I will loose my house

Exercise Two Aim: To help you make links between thoughts, feelings and behaviours –Working in pairs, using your favourite system, tool or technique, to help your mentee understand how their thoughts, feelings and behaviours interact. Encourage exploration –Explore what your mentee might do to reduce their stress or anxiety. What thought might you challenge and what behaviours might your mentee wish to change to help with their feelings?

Exercise Three Behavioural relaxation techniques –Breathing out stress/anxiety Taking a deep breath, imagine the situation that makes you anxious. Allow the feelings to rise in you. Blow out the breath imaging your stress reducing as you release the breath –Relaxation Sit comfortably. Take three deep breath and breath out slowly, relaxing with each breath. Move slowly from the top of your head to your toes, relaxing each muscle in your body as you bring them to mind. Do this slowly and repeat until you feel relaxed.