by Christa Green, Clinical Social Work Associate

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“Take Every Thought Captive”: Using CBT Techniques to Steward Your Anxious Thoughts

I recently had the honor of returning to both of my alma maters, Hillsdale College and my master’s program, George Fox University, to provide a brief training on coping with anxiety from a Christian and therapeutic perspective. This article is an adaptation of the talk I gave at these universities. Following the format of my talk, I will first note the key population impacted by anxiety, then address neurology and how anxiety impacts our brain, next, provide an anxiety exercise to take thoughts captive, and finally, share how I integrate my Christian faith in Jesus in this practice of taking thoughts captive. 

Throughout this article, I utilize the framework and techniques of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), not only because it is an evidence-based practice that has the highest rates of success compared to alternative therapeutic methods that treat anxiety, but also because it addresses deep thinkers. The CBT model is thought-based and posits that we have errors in our thinking that lead us to distort our perception of past and current experiences, resulting in unnecessary anxiety. CBT seeks to increase awareness of how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors work together. By increasing awareness, this therapeutic method aims to identify, challenge, and interrupt the unhealthy thought process that causes anxiety. I see CBT as a vital critical thinking tool and method to do what 2 Corinthians 10:5 says when it exhorts us to “take every thought captive.“

The Population Most Impacted by Anxieties

Therapeutically, we know that those aged 18-29 are the most common to experience Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) symptoms. I asked ChatGPT to summarize why this is the case. The answer: “The 18-29 age group is considered the most prevalent for GAD because this life stage is often marked by significant life transitions, stressors like academic pressure, career uncertainty, financial concerns, relationship changes, and increased social media usage, all of which can contribute to heightened anxiety levels in young adults; combined with developmental factors related to identity formation and navigating adult responsibilities, this age group experiences a unique combination of factors that can trigger GAD symptoms.” If you are in this age range, I hope you just felt validated by ChatGPT. This is a really cool but really hard season of life. More than in any other time in life, people in this age range experience significant life transitions and changes to core aspects of identity, such as choosing a career path, location of residence, relationship status, or even worldview. Transition to new roles characterizes the essence of young adulthood. 

I recently came across Jonathan Haidt’s popular book, The Anxious Generation, which sheds light on the unique challenges the Gen Z population faces, such that he dubs it, “The Anxious Generation.” His book discusses the staggering data of the increase in anxiety disorders over the past few decades and convincingly draws a correlation to the impact of social media and what he calls a ‘phone-based childhood.’ Throughout this article, I hope to convince you that if you are a part of this age group, while you cannot change being a part of Gen Z, you CAN fight being a part of the anxious generation. 

Therapeutically, we also know that women are twice as likely to be diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). The research varies as to why this might be the case, some pointing to cultural and social influences, vulnerability to dangers and adversities necessitating a stronger fight or flight reaction, biological variations such as the female brain being more sensitive to low levels of a hormone that regulates the stress response, or ongoing hormone fluctuations. I find aspects of credibility in each of these perspectives, but I was recently intrigued by Haidt’s sociological and psychological exploration of why girls are more impacted by and spend more time on social media than boys, since social media usage is undeniably correlated to an increase in comparison and, thereby, anxiety. In The Anxious Generation, Haidt notes that the core developmental needs of girls are more easily exploited by social media than boys are. The core developmental need and motivation that is stronger in girls than boys is “a striving to integrate the self in a larger social unit through caring for others and involves qualities such as benevolence, cooperativeness, and empathy” Social media knows their core audience is female and seeks to meet this need by offering new and multiple ways to connect, but in many ways it ends up doing the opposite. Haidt points out multiple reasons why girls are particularly vulnerable, arguing that we are social beings who are more impacted by visual social comparison and perfectionism, that female aggression is more relational, and that girls more easily share emotions. If any of this resonates with you, I encourage you to pick up this book and consider how social media and comparison are playing into the narrative of your anxieties. 

Neurology of Anxiety

Let’s turn now for a moment to the neurology and physiology of anxiety. I first want to note that having some anxieties is a good and normal part of life. We need a certain amount of cortisol, the stress hormone, and adrenaline in our body to function well and simply have the motivation to get out of bed each morning. It is also good for our brains to be able to detect threats and activate our fight-or-flight system when we are truly in danger. Yet with all good things can come the excess of those good things. Just as Aristotle argues that we can achieve virtue by maintaining the mean and finding the balance between the two excesses, so I argue that we need to work to steward our anxieties and not let it swing to either end of the pendulum from apathy to anxiety. We can apply this golden mean mentality to our mental health.

Four Threats to Your Brain

It is a powerful tool and gift to have a deeper understanding of how your body and brain play a role in your anxieties. Popular therapist and neuroscience researcher Lisa Dion explains that there are four main threats to the brain that cause us to become emotionally alert or anxious. These four threats are unknowns, incongruences, “shoulds,” and safety issues. 

So, let’s get nerdy real quick and talk about what’s happening in your brain with unknowns. The amygdala, which is located in the limbic area of our brain, constantly scans through sensory data to determine if there are any past associations, current threats, or challenges to well-being. The brain is designed to pause whenever there is new sensory data. What is new (i.e., change) is threatening to the brain, making our brain highly sensitized to unknowns. For example, whenever I offer my one-year-old daughter a new food that she has not tried before, she will pause and look to me for assurance that this unknown food is safe. The second threat to the brain is ‘the incongruences.’ This is when things do not add up or make sense. The body feels this even if the mind cannot identify or name what is going on. Our brain loves patterns and struggles when there is incongruence. For example, our brain notices and dislikes the incongruence when a friend or partner says they care about you, but their actions do not align with their words. The third threat is ‘the shoulds.’ This occurs when we “should on ourselves” through the internal dialogue of “I should be…,” “I should have done…,” “I shouldn’t have…,” and so on and so forth. This messaging often causes us to become stuck in a shame cycle. The fourth threat, ‘the safety threats,’ is perhaps the most obvious as the brain sends out an alarm if the body senses potential danger. These four threats to the brain, the unknowns, incongruences, “shoulds,” and safety concerns, cause us to become emotionally alert or dysregulated (hear more about the Four Threats of the Brain from Lisa Dion here).

Your Brain as a “Flipped Lid”

‘Dysregulated’ is a term commonly used in the therapy world, which refers to having difficulty controlling or regulating your emotional response. Dan Siegel, a renowned psychiatrist and author, coined the term and example of what it means to have a “flipped lid,” which helpfully explains what is happening in your brain when you become dysregulated. Have you ever noticed that when you feel emotionally flooded, you say things you don’t mean, exaggerate, or feel like you are losing control? Neurology explains why this happens and we can use our hand as a brain model to visualize this. 

First, hold your hand up, fold your thumb over your palm, and wrap your remaining four fingers over your thumb. The thumb represents your amygdala or what we call your ‘emotional brain.’ This part of the brain is your fight or flight activator that floods with cortisol and adrenaline when your body senses a threat. The four fingers represent your ‘frontal cortex’ or your ‘thinking brain.’ This part of the brain is responsible for decision-making, reason, logic, problem-solving, impulse control, and sound judgment. When you are calm and regulated, your brain works as an integrated whole. As a thought travels up your brain stem, it first meets the thinking brain/frontal cortex and then gets to your emotional brain/amygdala. Our thoughts are helpfully filtered through the thinking brain before attaching emotional value to the thought. Yet, when we become dysregulated or overly anxious, we “flip our lid,” causing the four fingers to fly up and expose our amygdala. In this emotional state, thoughts are no longer protected by, or filtered through, the thinking brain. If I were to do a brain scan when you are in a dysregulated state, only the amygdala would light up, and you would not even have access to your thinking brain. In other words, this dysregulated brain state makes decision-making, reason, logic, problem-solving, impulse control, and sound judgment nearly impossible.

Part of our job and responsibility is noticing when our lid has flipped and utilizing coping skills to get the lid back on so you can access your thinking brain again. The brain is designed to work together as an integrated whole. Perhaps this is what Jesus meant in Matthew 22:37 when he said, “Love the Lord your God with all your mind”. 

Unhelpful Thinking Styles

Before we explore how to get your lid back on, let’s discuss some tactics to notice that your brain might not be working as it was intended to as an integrated whole. CBT teaches that there are ten common unhelpful thinking styles, called ‘cognitive distortions’ that we often fall into when interpreting situations incorrectly. Having a distorted thinking style can often cause us to become dysregulated and flip our lid. But also, if you notice yourself falling into or saying something that fits into one of these ten categories, that is a sign that your lid is likely already flipped; it is time to do some work to take that thought captive and get your lid back on. 

As you read through these ten unhelpful styles of thinking, I encourage you to be mindful of the thinking style(s) to which you are most susceptible. We all have cognitive distortions and generally have a few personal go-to styles that you might find yourself falling into more often. Being aware of yours can prove to be a helpful indicator that it is time to take those thoughts captive.

Other than using these unhelpful thinking styles as an indicator that we have a flipped lid and are anxious, how can we get our lid back on? In CBT, this process is called “cognitive restructuring,” wherein we first become aware of our anxious thoughts and then actively challenge those thoughts by gathering evidence to contradict them, ultimately replacing them with more balanced, healthy, and realistic thinking. 

Anxiety Exercise (using CBT)

Let’s now walk through an exercise that utilizes common CBT techniques to navigate your internal thought life. This exercise applies to everyone, not just those who might have an excess of anxiety causing it to become an anxiety disorder. Anxieties, for everyone, often feel chaotic and unmanageable. When we create categories, organize our anxieties, and put words to label each feeling, they are no longer swirling around our mind and picking up chaotic tornado speed. It is possible to put our minds in order. Let’s walk through this exercise to organize your anxious mind.

Using this CBT circle, create a pie chart of the key anxieties in your life, with the size of each slice depicting how much of your internal thought life is taken up by it. This is the ‘name it to tame it’ aspect of wielding our anxieties. By putting words and categories to our anxieties, we externalize what is otherwise often internally stuck. 

Now, work through each category of your anxiety pie and flesh each one out a little more by working through the following questions. As an example, I will use the case study of one of my dear clients who agreed to let me share how we filled out one piece of her pie chart together. This client, who originally started working with me after experiencing her first panic attack, is a young adult female currently working as a teacher. A source of anxiety that my client identified is how she feels sick to her stomach whenever she lies down for a nap. I will note that this client had been medically examined, and all stomach concerns had been ruled out with doctors citing anxiety as the likely key issue. 

Is it a should, incongruence, unknown, or safety issue?

First, is it a should, incongruence, unknown, or safety issue? Perhaps use a different color to label the threat category. In the example case of my client, she first felt this anxiety was a safety issue due to the stomach pain. Yet after ruling out medical concerns, it became more evident that this anxiety fit more into the ‘shoulds’ category. More on this later.

What is the anticipated threat?

Next, what is the anticipated threat? Anxiety is distinct from fear because it is a feeling resulting from an ambiguous, uncertain threat. It is the concern about what might happen. We can clarify our anxiety by asking, “What is the threat, or what is being threatened?” For my client, she identified the threat of “being lazy” in laying down to take a nap, explaining why her threat category was a ‘should.” 

What is the thought?

Next, what is the thought? If this anxiety, or slice of the pie had a thought bubble, what would it be saying? This can be one of the hardest categories to pin down, yet we need to be able to put words to our anxieties. We must notice and reflectively identify the automatic thought to be able to stop it. My client’s thought bubble read, “If you take a nap today, you will be lazy. If you are lazy, no one will want to marry you.” What is yours?

Does this thought go into one of the ‘unhelpful thinking styles?” How can I dispute this thought?

Moving on, does this thought go into one of the unhelpful thinking style categories? If so, which one? Are there disputes against that thought? Reasons why this might not be true? Might there be an alternative interpretation of the situation? My client identified ‘jumping to conclusions,’ ‘should/must,’ and ‘labeling’ as her unhelpful thinking styles. Together, we made a list of the reasons she was not lazy and how this did not correlate to being single. Take some time to jot down the thinking style and any potential disputes against that thought.

Are there any past experiences or traumas that I am associating with this anxiety?

This next question might be something to explore with a trusted mentor or therapist, as it addresses the links our body and mind make to past experiences. Are there any past experiences or traumas that you are associating with this anxiety? In what ways is this current situation similar or different to what you have previously experienced? What has changed since you had that negative experience? In the case of my client, she had a strenuous relationship with her stepfather, who often yelled at her when he came into her room and saw her napping, asking if she had finished her chores or homework. My client discovered that even though she had moved out and was living on her own, her body was subconsciously preparing for verbal attack and accusation. 

What do I have control over and what do I not have control over?

Finally, what do you have control over, and what do you not have control over? Create two lists. My client, for example, noted that she has control over how long she naps and the boundaries she currently sets with her stepfather, but she also acknowledged that she does not have the ability to change what happened in the past or does not have complete control over her current relationship status. 

That which you do not have control over requires letting go and acceptance. One clinical recommendation to aid in this arduous process of letting go is using imagery. You can imagine putting that thought or list of what you cannot control on a boat at the coast. You are standing on the shore, watching the boat carrying that list descend to the horizon. The boat gets smaller and smaller until it finally disappears. Alternatively, you could imagine rolling up that list, placing it in a helium balloon, and letting go of the balloon. The balloon could bob in the corner of the room so you can keep an eye on it, or you could open the window and watch the balloon float away. As you fight to let go and accept, imagine either of these scenes, clench your fist for 20 seconds, and then open your hands to physiologically express letting go. This, however, is the part of our exercise that I believe requires faith integration. Because for myself, I can only let go of my list if I hand it over to my God, whom I trust and know. 

Faith Integration with CBT Techniques for Anxiety

After the birth of my daughter, I struggled with postpartum anxiety and felt the blanket weight of anxiety cloud each thought. I noticed it in my shallow breathing, tensed shoulders, and chest pangs. At first, I felt too tired and overwhelmed to do anything about it. A few weeks after the birth, I was lying in bed unable to sleep (while my newborn peacefully snoozed beside me) as the threat of sudden infant death syndrome, or SIDS, consumed my thoughts. You might have already guessed, but jumping to conclusions and catastrophization are my go-to unhelpful thinking styles. That night, by the grace of God, the Holy Spirit brought to mind a verse I had memorized as a child and not thought of since. “I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord cause me [and my newborn] to dwell in safety!” (Psalm 4:8). I recited that verse over and over until sleep overtook me. That night of sleep was the most peaceful sleep I had in weeks, even though my newborn still woke me for multiple nighttime feeds. The next morning, I reflected on how Christ comforted me with truth that had been hidden in my heart for decades. Eager for more comfort and truth, I sat down to write out all the verses I had memorized over the years. The page filled with verses and phrases such as “take every thought captive” (2 Corinthians 10:5) and “cast your burdens unto Jesus who cares for you and sustains you (1 Peter 5:7),” bringing me to pray that the Lord might help me be “transformed by the renewing of my mind” (Romans 12:2) and “guide me into truth” (John 16:13) helping me to “gain the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16).

Now, to be honest, the integration of psychology and faith is something I still wrestle with. I know I am not the only one who feels or has thought, “I don’t need clinical help. Wouldn’t my anxiety be better if I just prayed more and trusted in Jesus more?” Though there is truth in this, it is important to also remind ourselves of what we know about God. God is the creator of everyone and everything. He created our minds. He also gave us agency and dominion. God created neuroplasticity, the ability to create new neural pathways and associations in response to new experiences. He created our brains to have the capacity for healing, hope, and restoration. He also gave us the knowledge and ability to know our own brains and bodies. Our hope is not in CBT, our hope is in the Lord. CBT is a tool to manage and steward what God gave us. I also believe that the Lord can use clinical counselors and therapists as His hands and feet to bring His healing. 

When I struggled with postpartum anxiety, I believe the Holy Spirit helped me let go of that over which I had no control. He brought the truth of Scripture to mind and helped me realize that I needed to take my anxious thoughts captive. I wish I could say my anxiety was easy to rid after this realization, but it was HARD work. Fighting away this anxiety meant I needed to follow a rigid mental health plan including 30 minutes of daily physical activity, focused prayer time, setting a timer that went off every few hours to intentionally pause, breathe, and notice what I am grateful for, etc.

Matthew 25:14-30, Jesus teaches the parable of talents, wherein he teaches what it means to steward what has been given to us. What if we view thoughts in this same light? We have been given our minds, so it is our responsibility to steward our thoughts. It is our responsibility and in our agency to control our thought life.

Take Your Thoughts Captive

I encourage you to not just notice the anxious thought but to take it captive. This means doing something to not allow anxious thoughts to become automatic thoughts. Create a list of strategies or things you can do when you have anxious thoughts. Go outside. Connect with a friend. Pray. Do jumping jacks. Smash ice cubes on the ground. Drink some water. Shower. Eat something. Write out the thought and list the reasons why it is not true. Walk through grass barefoot. Recite scripture. Lie down and put your feet up on the wall. Take deep breaths where you breathe in your nose for three seconds and exhale through your mouth for six seconds. Turn your attention to something else. Turn on a loud song and do the Macarena. Whatever you need to do! Just FIGHT IT. Do not allow these anxious thoughts to take root. 

Finally, notice what activities or people heighten your unhealthy anxieties and what grounds you in peace. If you imagine your anxieties as an ember within you that is either looking for oxygen to catch flame or for water to be extinguished, what is fueling the fire of your anxieties? Common sources of oxygen are watching too much TV, scrolling, withdrawing from family and friends, focusing too much on grades or homework, comparing yourself to others on social media, spending time with friends who gossip, or not eating enough nutrient-dense foods. What is your anxiety’s oxygen? Common sources of water to extinguish the flames of anxiety, on the other hand, are going for a walk or 30 minutes of daily movement, connecting with family or friends, taking vitamin D, and going to church. What is the water that douses your anxieties? Stop and notice. Did something just come to mind about what your anxiety’s oxygen or water might be? Did one of the common sources of oxygen or water resonate with you? These are all tools you can employ to fight the good fight against anxiety. It is an ongoing battle to fight your anxieties. Even in this, “do not grow weary in doing good” (Galatians 6:9) but “fight the fight, finish the race, and keep the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7).

As you navigate working through your anxieties, I hope you are also encouraged by this prayer from Every Moment Holy, Volume III, entitled ‘For the One Suffering Anxiety’ (find this liturgy and more here). I highly recommend their books and often use their written liturgies when I do not have the language to express my thoughts and feelings. 

For the One Suffering Anxiety

O Christ, who is my peace, 
be now my peace. 

Be to me a fountain of life, 
a stream of gladness, 
a deep pool of rest–
for in the midst of a thousand anxious thoughts, 
I have no rest. 

When I am in this place I cannot soothe myself. 
I cannot speak any meaningful peace to my own 
heart once these fretful feelings overtake me, 
once my sense of self begins to fray. 

Sometimes I feel it as a vague disquiet, 
other times a deep distress, and still 
others as a paralyzing panic. 

In such moments I need you, O Christ, 
to speak into those agitated 
waters of my soul, 
calling them to calm. 

Speak now O Christ! 
Quiet my anxieties. 
Still my soul. 

O my soul, be still. 

Rest now in the arms
of the One who does not 
fret, or fear, or feel disquiet. 
He will be your sheltering rock. 
He will be your still harbor, 
your good haven in this sea of storms. 

It is not about being who I want to be, 
or creating my own identity, 
or measuring up to the expectations 
of my culture of my peers, 
but about finding who I am in you 
and resting in that. 

The rest are just details. They do not change 
what is forever true: that you created me 
to find my rest and take my joy in you. 

Now calm my heart, O Father. 
Now soothe my mind, O Christ. 
Now breathe your peace, O Spirit, upon me. 

Release me from my cares, O God, 
as I release my cares to you. 
Amen.

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Consider Online Therapy in Oregon for Christian Counseling

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3. Feel more connected to what is most important and more in control over your thoughts

Other Mental Health Services at Life Discovery Counseling in Oregon

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References

American Psychiatric Association. Committee On Nomenclature And Statistics. (1982). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. American Psychiatric Association.

Cognitive Distortions – Unhelpful Thinking Styles (Extended). (2023). Psychology Tools. https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/cognitive-distortions-unhelpful-thinking-styles-extended 

Dion, Lisa. (2022, September 18). The Four Threats of the Brain – Lessons from the Playroom Podcast. Synergetic Play Therapy Institute. https://synergeticplaytherapy.com/episode-14-lessons-playroom-podcast-four-threats-brain%E2%80%8B/

English Standard Version Bible. (2001). Crossway Bibles.

Every Moment Holy on Instagram: “‘Now take these, my present anxieties, O Lord, and unseat them with your better promises.’

From A Liturgy for One Suffering Anxiety by Douglas McKelvey, found in Volume III.” (2021). Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/everymomentholy/p/C7MyMVHyaZU/?hl=en&img_index=1

‌“Flipping the lid” – What really happens when we lose control of our emotions? (2022, October 27). Ability Options. https://abilityoptions.org.au/flipping-the-lid/

Haidt, J. (2024). The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness. Penguin Press.

Luke, C. (2020). Neuroscience for counselors and therapists: Integrating the sciences of mind and brain. Cognella.Siegel, D. J. (2010). Mindsight: the new science of personal transformation. Scribe Publications.