📖 5-minute read
The CBT cycle shows how four parts of your experience feed each other. A thought sparks a feeling. The feeling shows up in the body. The body pushes an action. The action confirms the thought. Round it goes.
Example: You think 'they're annoyed with me.' You feel anxious. Your chest tightens. You avoid the conversation. Now the mind concludes: 'See — I was right to worry.' The loop tightens.
The good news: you can step into the cycle anywhere. Change one part — a slower breath, a small behaviour experiment, a gentler thought — and the whole loop starts to soften.