In today’s fast-paced world and extreme competition, people seem to be running after success now more than ever. The competition seems to have gotten more cut-throat post-pandemic when people are trying to get back on their feet, and in that attempt, they are working even harder to make a place in the world. With so much going on and everyone caught up in the rat race, people often ignore the most fundamental aspect of life – happiness and mental peace. Leading a contented life is everyone’s basic right. Thus, in order to achieve ultimate mental satisfaction, it is essential to get in touch with an extraordinary clinical psychologist to ease the hardships of life by giving your thoughts a direction.
Dr. Scott Waltman is one of the most influential therapists when it comes to clinical psychology treatments. Through cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), he helps people get unstuck by using practical, proven strategies that work. Speaking about his line of work, Dr. Scott Waltman shares, “There’s a lot that I love about my job. It is really such an honor to be able to sit with people in pain and help them get unstuck in a way where they can really take back control of their lives. It’s really marvelous to see someone come alive again after years or decades of being stuck and suffering.”
Scott is a licensed psychologist and board certified in CBT by the American Board of Professional Psychology, practicing for the past 12 years. He is also a certified trainer and consultant for the Academy of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy which was founded by Dr. Aaron Beck and his colleagues in 1998. It is an international institution that awards competency-based certification, including a review of training and actual clinical competency. “I worked as a CBT trainer with a partnership between the University of Pennsylvania and the City of Philadelphia. I trained frontline community, mental health therapists, in high-quality CBT,” he informs.
We discussed with Scott the trends he has been seeing and the types of suggestions he typically has for his clients. In general, the ongoing uncertainty has been physically and emotionally taxing for people, and burnout is at what seems to be an all-time high. Scott shares five tips that will drastically improve your mental health.
Take care of your physical health
According to Dr. Scott, the mind and body are connected; hence, giving your physical health some tender loving care is essential. A good foundation is always built upon regular patterns of taking care of your physical health, including regular sleep, exercise, and a healthy diet.
Pay attention to your thoughts
The human mind comes across thousands of thoughts in a day, many of which occur unconsciously. Dr. Scott suggests slowing down a bit and mentally taking a step back. Only then will you be able to observe the stories your mind is feeding you. This allows you to check if these thoughts are true or helpful. By changing your thoughts, you can change your perspectives, eventually allowing you to change your life.
Give your thoughts a direction
People often come into therapy wanting distress or discomfort to end. Dr. Scott will help people identify what they want their life to be instead. Focusing on trying to minimize discomfort often leads to small life, whereas focusing on fostering what you value tends to enlarge your life. There is some amount of suffering that is ubiquitous to life, but it is crucial to understand that pain is a part of being alive. It is impossible to have all the joys of life if you are unwilling to experience the pains of life as well. The key is to find what matters enough to you where the pain of life is worth it in the pursuit of passion and values.
Understand your mood-dependent memory
This means when you are in a negative state of mind, it is hard to remember things that happened when you were in a good mood. Dr. Scott recommends documenting the positive things that happened in your life, either using audio, visual recordings, or journaling. Storing memories of the good things that you encountered will help you become more optimistic about life while uplifting your mood-dependent memory.
Accept what you can and cannot control
There is a lot of wisdom in directing your energy and attention to things you have control over and accepting what you do not. There is a lot of misery in life that stems from people fighting against reality. This is not to say that one cannot fight to change reality. However, Dr. Scott recommends accepting things as they are and making peace because radically embracing reality gives you the power to face it.
Dr. Scott Waltman believes that motivation is important but is not as essential as the actions taken to shape your life. Though it is necessary to set a direction before taking action because as soon as the action is taken, the circumstances change, and the emotions catch up automatically. He is passionate about helping people, and his curiosity has made him a leader in the field of cognitive behavior therapy.
