Stuck thinking and the science behind Mello
FOUNDATIONS ● 5 MINS
Learn how negative thoughts can lead to anxiety and create a cycle of stuck thinking that worsens emotional health. Evidence-based techniques, particularly from cognitive behavioral therapy, can help break this cycle through personalized support and regular practice. Consistent effort in practicing these methods can lead to a healthier mindset and improved well-being.
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OVERVIEW
Last updated Oct 7, 2024
Written March 26, 2022
WRITTEN BY
Dr Imogen Bell
Clin. Psych + Researcher
Dr Bell is an NHMRC Early Leadership Fellow at Orygen, the Centre for Youth Mental Health at the University of Melbourne. She oversees a program of research on the development, evaluation, and implementation of innovative digital treatments that leverage smartphone apps, artificial intelligence, and virtual reality technology to enhance youth mental health care.
These sorts of thoughts usually make us feel sad and depressed.
Thoughts like:
Nobody likes me
I’ll never be happy
Sometimes our negative thoughts can be about bad things we’re worried will happen in the future. These sorts of thoughts usually make us feel anxious and stressed.
I’m going to fail
My friends are going to leave me
Everyone has negative thoughts like this – that’s part of being human! But research has shown that when we spend a lot of time going over and over them, then we can get stuck in a negative thinking loop that can make us anxious and depressed.
The problem with stuck thinking is that the more we focus on negative thoughts, the bigger they become in our mind and the worse we feel.
Science has shown that your brain can develop a habit of getting stuck going over and over negative thoughts. It might seem like it’s helping to solve a problem that you’re worrying about, but in reality, we often don’t get anywhere by focusing so much time and attention on our negative thoughts and it can end up making us feel worse.
Stuck thinking is all about getting hooked into negative thoughts. Negative thoughts are words or images that come to mind that usually make us feel down or anxious. Everyone has negative thoughts and they usually reflect things that we don’t like about ourselves or our life.
So, how exactly does Mello work?
Mello is designed to help you with stuck thinking by giving you the evidence-based tools and techniques to help you think well.
It’s based on cognitive behavioural therapy, which is an evidence-based treatment approach to help with emotional difficulties (read more). Each therapy activity involves a technique that has been scientifically proven to work for stuck thinking and has been backed by young people and clinical psychologists.
Mello goes beyond regular mental health apps by providing tailored suggestions for techniques that will work for you in the specific moment you’re feeling stuck. That’s because we know that one size doesn’t fit all, and not every technique will work for every moment. Mello will help you get to know what works for you and support you to practice and learn the skills you need to overcome stuck thinking, in anytime or place.
Developed by an expert team of researchers, clinical psychologists and young people at Orygen Digital, the world’s leading centre for digital technologies to support youth mental health and wellbeing, you can have confidence that investing time in Mello is going to help you long-term.
Mello has two core features that are designed to help you get out of stuck thinking loops in the moment:
Therapy activities which are specifically tailored for you in the moment you’re stuck and designed to be practiced regularly
Check ins to help you build awareness of stuck thinking and help tailor what therapy activity will work in the moment
These techniques are backed by science, but that doesn’t mean they work right away! Like most things in life, the stuff that’s really worth it can take hard work.
Stuck thinking is like the engine room of depression and anxiety
The research shows that negative thoughts drive us to feel negative emotions, so the more time we spend thinking about them, the worse we can feel.
If you’re someone who experiences depression or anxiety, chances are you spend a lot of time going over negative thoughts. The good news is that there is heaps of research showing that certain ways of thinking can help overcome the habit of stuck thinking and help you feel better.
Think of Mello like fitness training.
Each time you practice a therapy activity and check in about your stuck thinking, you’re getting stronger and better at being able to escape the negative thinking loop. Learning a new skill doesn’t happen overnight, so the activities might not work right away. And not everyone learns in the same way! Mello is about finding what works for you, because everyone is different.
To get the most out of Mello, you’ll
need to make an investment in yourself.
It’s going to take some time and energy to overcome the stuck thinking habit. Mello works best if you:
Complete as many check ins as you can, even if you’re feeling fine. This helps to build up a pattern in your stuck thinking which can help you figure out ways to break the cycle.
Complete as many therapy activities as you can, but aim for at least one a day. Practice these whenever you want, but some are designed to help even when you aren’t stuck in your thoughts.
You’ll learn that there are things that can help with stuck thinking even when you’re feeling fine! This is an important part of Mello, so make sure to check in and complete the activities designed for these moments to really get the most out of it.
Invest in your future-self.
Each time you open Mello and work on your stuck thinking, you’re investing in a happier, healthier future self.
Making the time and effort to change your negative thinking habits takes energy, but it’s worth it. So keep up the practice everyday and you’ll hopefully find yourself thinking and feeling better soon. Complete a check in next time you get a notification, or even start now by exploring the therapy activities and saving your favourites.
OVERVIEW
Last updated Oct 7, 2024
Written March 26, 2022
WRITTEN BY
Dr Imogen Bell
Clin. Psych + Researcher
Dr Bell is an NHMRC Early Leadership Fellow at Orygen, the Centre for Youth Mental Health at the University of Melbourne. She oversees a program of research on the development, evaluation, and implementation of innovative digital treatments that leverage smartphone apps, artificial intelligence, and virtual reality technology to enhance youth mental health care.
