The Emotionary No. 11 - Calm. A CBT Perspective

Calm

[Kahlm] adjective

Calm is like a distant view of an estuary. Foreground fields are ploughed and planted. The work is done and sky-birds dance in delight. Their feast is not your joy today. A ship sails in and out of view, its silent journey does not concern you. Cars journey to and from the coast. You wonder why they did not stay at home today. Calm is content to watch and know: This is the world, it is just so.

From a Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) perspective, calm is not merely the passive absence of anxiety. Instead, it is an active, regulated state of alignment between our thoughts, the physical sensations we experience in our body, and our behaviours. A state of calm aligns with the core CBT principle that the way we think affects how we will feel and act.

When we evaluate a situation as manageable rather than threatening, our brain deactivates its ‘fight or flight’ survival alarm. As a result, we notice that our body feels ‘settled’, our heart rate slows and our muscles relax. These physiological states helps our brain to further confirming that we are safe. From a state of calm, we are able to choose thoughtful, intentional behaviours rather than reacting to situations out of pure impulse. From a CBT perspective, calmness is viewed as a highly trainable skill, rather than an elusive emotional state. If you would like to find out more about how CBT could help you, please get in touch for more information. Avon CBT offers face to face CBT in the Bristol and North Somerset areas and online across the UK.