Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsGetting StartedActivities for Healthy ThinkingMeditationsChanging BehaviorsPros & ConsFinal Thoughts
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Getting Started
Activities for Healthy Thinking
Meditations
Changing Behaviors
Pros & Cons
Final Thoughts
I am a worrywart. One of the earliest memories I have is of my family’s move to another state. Moving boxes were loaded in the bed of a pickup truck as I stared out at the freeway, worrying about what would happen next.What if the boxes fly open and my clothes end up on the highway? What will the new town look like? What if our neighbors don’t like us? What if someone breaks into our new house?
MindShift CBT uses techniques fromcognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, to help users manage symptoms of anxiety or stress. Cognitive behavioral therapy is a type of evidence-based therapy that targets thought patterns that negatively affect a person’s behaviors and emotions.By acknowledging and challenging destructive thought patterns, you can then replace them with more positive and realistic thoughts. Often I forget what I learned in therapy each week, so testing MindShift CBT, likethBuddhify Ap.pallowed me to really hone in on and practice tools for coping with anxiety. It allowed me to take a kind ofDIY approach to my own therapythanks to the abundance of exercises that were available to me.
Initially, I didn’t expect much out of MindShift CBT because I had not heard of the app before—and I’ve had my fair share of experiences with mental health apps. But, after using MindShift CBT regularly for five weeks, I started to notice what features seemed to support what I needed. MindShift CBT exceeded my low expectations, but I know my consistent use of the app played a role in its effect. Here’s what to know about the app if you’re thinking of trying it too.
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Getting Started With MindShift CBT
Daily Check-InsThough the app does not explain it, the check-in process is an important first step in cognitive behavioral therapy. I needed to properly identify what I was feeling and thinking before I could notice whether it was an unhelpful or automatic thought.
Daily Check-Ins
Though the app does not explain it, the check-in process is an important first step in cognitive behavioral therapy. I needed to properly identify what I was feeling and thinking before I could notice whether it was an unhelpful or automatic thought.
It was also helpful to view my Check-In Summary, which was a simple bar graph of the anxiety levels I had logged over time. However, MindShift CBT only saves up to two weeks of moods at a time. This might be frustrating if you like to keep track of your mood over a longer period or show your therapist your mood log like I did, but I think it is generally a useful tool.
MindShift CBT
Identifying the emotionsI was experiencing not only increased my mind-body awareness, but helped me better understand my emotions on a day-to-day basis.
I could pinpoint the emotion I was feeling and think of the cause behind that emotion. Additionally, the check-in activity allowed me to pay attention to how the emotion was displaying itself somatically, such as a racing heartbeat in my throat as my anxiety grew.
The three exercises for healthy thinking included a thought journal, coping cards, and belief experiments. I could do as many exercises as I wanted in a day, which was helpful for those more anxiety-provoking days. Each one took me between one and five minutes, depending on how much I wrote or how long I took to think through something.
My Thought Journal
Journaling is a well-knowncoping mechanism for stress,anxiety, anddepression.The app’s thought journal is broken down into three steps. First, I could write what was worrying me and why. Next, I was prompted to identify which “thinking trap” this worry fell under.
“Thinking trap” is another term for thecognitive distortionsCBT works to identify. These include should statements (negative thoughts that cause or exacerbate fear and doubt), over-generalizing (coming to overarching negative conclusions that exceed the facts of the situation), and catastrophizing (assuming the worst-case scenario).
Each thinking trap is a pattern of unrealistic thinking, such as wondering if everyone hates you because you showed up to the meeting a few minutes late. I was given the option to choose from nine thinking traps, but the app includes an additional “unsure” choice if the other options do not apply.
After I identifed a maximum of three thinking traps, MindShift CBT walked me through how to balance, or challenge, my worry with a positive reframe. The app guided me through this process based on the thinking traps I chose. For example, if I chose the “catastrophizing,” the app asked me to reflect on three questions:Is this a hassle or a horror? Will this still matter in a year? What’s the worst that could happen, and how would I cope?
I appreciated that the thought journal entries were stored in the app even past the two-week mark of the check-in summary. It was helpful in noticing trends in my thinking as well as recognizing how I improved my thinking across the five weeks.
In my anxiety, I overthink every possible outcome. I began to open the thought journal first tobrain dumpand clear my mind before continuing with the other activities. The app set structure and instilled hope for me without sacrificing my ability to choose which activities I wanted to do more of.
Coping Cards
I see how this aspect of the app might benefit individuals who regularly use affirmations or who seek words of reassurance, but affirmations aren’t effective for me because I haven’t been able to use them consistently.
So, I tended to avoid using the coping cards. It didn’t negatively affect my experience using MindShift CBT, but it did leave me wishing the app had more activities to teach users tangible coping strategies.
Belief Experiments
First, I was prompted to identify an area of my life that worried me, such as daily life, work, or relationships. Then, I could design an experiment to try—this meant I would make a prediction about the outcome of an upcoming situation in my life that I was concerned about. (The app gave an example of asking a question at work when you are afraid people will laugh at you.)
When I asked that question at work, did people really laugh at me? Did it turn out as badly as I thought it would, or was it not the big deal I thought it would be? This was a useful way of questioning my negative thoughts and adjusting my real-life expectations.
By making a prediction about how the situation will go and setting a date after the situation occurs for the app to remind me about it, I could reflect on whether reality aligned with my prediction—or if my anxiety got in the way of my thinking.
I appreciated the length of time that these exercises took. It felt customizable to what I needed at that moment. For instance, if I was extremely anxious one day, I could take as much time as I needed to write multiple thoughts out in the thought journal. If I had a quick minute before I needed to make dinner, I could look at a few coping cards and remember what strategies to implement when I needed to.
Meditations in Chill Zone
In addition to the tools to manage anxiety, the app has a “Chill Zone” consisting of short, recordedguided meditations.
There are nine audio recordings useful for various situations and needs, includingpublic speaking,body scanning, ortest anxiety.
Even though the recordings were about different experiences, the language used felt repetitive. It was strange to me that the app only included nine audio recordings when other apps (like Calm) have hundreds or even thousands. I didn’t use the meditations often, but the body scan and mindful breathing ones were helpful in moments when I needed to be still and reset my nervous system.
MindShift CBT outlined “Comfort Zone Challenges” for me in four topics, including becoming independent, tackling social situations, dealing withperfectionism, and facing the unknown. Comfort Zone Challenges are intended to replace negative patterns of behavior with more positive and productive behaviors, which is an important aspect of CBT. These challenges are also a small form ofexposure therapy, a technique of CBT that involves facing your fears in real life to learn that the outcomes are not as dire as you thought they would be.
My favorite challenge I tried was to mispronounce or misuse a word on purpose to step out of my attempt to achieve perfection. While it was a small thing to do, it put into perspective other small steps I could take to grow more comfortable with not being right all of the time.
Pros and Cons
My experience with MindShift CBT was largely positive, but I recognize that the app may not be for everyone. It is important to weigh the positives and negatives to find what best fits your needs.
Free to use
Focuses on the sources of anxiety or stress
Incorporates psychoeducation
Offers lots of activities to try
Has a streamlined layout
Uses CBT interventions in a simple, clear way
ConsNot effective for crisis situations or severe anxiety symptoms like panic attacksUses a large amount of textOnly saves mood tracking entries for two weeksMeditations are repetitive
Not effective for crisis situations or severe anxiety symptoms like panic attacks
Uses a large amount of text
Only saves mood tracking entries for two weeks
Meditations are repetitive
I felt that the app was missing a few key elements.
For example, relaxation skills are also important in the CBT model as they can help reframe thoughts to be more objective and positive. Adding a checklist of coping mechanisms and a way to keep track of what was effective could be a way to enhance the coping cards and healthy habits exercises. I also expected more exercises to be available, specifically exercises intended to developcoping skills.
MindShift CBT takes the time to outline and explain what might be occurring in the body, mind, and behaviors behind each feeling, such aspanic, generalworry, perfectionism,social anxiety, andphobias.
Thankfully, MindShift CBT is a free app, so there is no harm in trying it for a few weeks and seeing if it is effective for you.
It takes consistency to build the habit of using the app, but once it is a part of your daily routine, I think you’ll start to see MindShift CBT’s impact in shifting your thoughts and behaviors in a more positive direction.
Hopefully, you’ll stop overthinking like I did—though I’m questioning now whether I entered my mood on the Check-In page for today.
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2 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.David D, Cristea I, Hofmann SG.Why cognitive behavioral therapy is the current gold standard of psychotherapy.Front Psychiatry. 2018;9:4. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00004Ullrich PM, Lutgendorf SK.Journaling about stressful events: Effects of cognitive processing and emotional expression.Ann Behav Med. 2002;24(3):244-250. doi:10.1207/s15324796abm2403_10
2 Sources
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.David D, Cristea I, Hofmann SG.Why cognitive behavioral therapy is the current gold standard of psychotherapy.Front Psychiatry. 2018;9:4. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00004Ullrich PM, Lutgendorf SK.Journaling about stressful events: Effects of cognitive processing and emotional expression.Ann Behav Med. 2002;24(3):244-250. doi:10.1207/s15324796abm2403_10
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
David D, Cristea I, Hofmann SG.Why cognitive behavioral therapy is the current gold standard of psychotherapy.Front Psychiatry. 2018;9:4. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00004Ullrich PM, Lutgendorf SK.Journaling about stressful events: Effects of cognitive processing and emotional expression.Ann Behav Med. 2002;24(3):244-250. doi:10.1207/s15324796abm2403_10
David D, Cristea I, Hofmann SG.Why cognitive behavioral therapy is the current gold standard of psychotherapy.Front Psychiatry. 2018;9:4. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00004
Ullrich PM, Lutgendorf SK.Journaling about stressful events: Effects of cognitive processing and emotional expression.Ann Behav Med. 2002;24(3):244-250. doi:10.1207/s15324796abm2403_10
Hannah Owens, LMSW
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