3 Magic Words to Cure Distractions With Somatic Experiencing Basics and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Busy Empaths - Take Out Therapy: End Overthinking & Overwhelm for Empathic High Achievers

Summary

Podcast Summary: Take Out Therapy - Episode: "3 Magic Words to Cure Distractions With Somatic Experiencing Basics and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Busy Empaths"

Host: Rebecca Hunter, MSW
Release Date: July 28, 2025

Introduction

In this insightful episode of Take Out Therapy, Rebecca Hunter, MSW, delves into practical strategies for overcoming distractions—a common challenge for empathic high achievers. Tailored for busy empaths seeking to enhance focus and reduce overwhelm, Rebecca combines principles from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and somatic therapy to offer actionable tools that can be seamlessly integrated into daily routines.

Understanding Distraction Through CBT and Somatic Therapy

Rebecca begins by outlining the dual approach of CBT and somatic therapy in tackling distractions:

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Focuses on addressing and restructuring negative thought patterns that contribute to distraction.
Somatic Therapy: Engages the body to complement mental strategies, fostering a holistic approach to managing distractions.

"So what I'm doing when I am using both cognitive behavioral therapy and somatic therapy is we're working from two angles. We're working from the mind and the body."
— Rebecca Hunter [00:03:15]

The Three Magic Words Technique

At the heart of this episode is the "Three Magic Words" technique—a simple yet powerful tool designed to interrupt and shift focus away from distractions.

Step 1: Recognize and Interrupt

Rebecca emphasizes the importance of self-awareness in identifying moments of distraction.

"If you ever feel frustrated by your ability to get distracted easily, this is a trick that you can use to just get yourself right back on track."
— Rebecca Hunter [00:02:10]

Upon recognizing a distraction, the first action is to acknowledge it with a concise phrase:

"'This can wait.' Could it possibly be any simpler?"
— Rebecca Hunter [00:04:50]

Step 2: Incorporate Slow Breathing

Following the verbal acknowledgment, Rebecca advises taking slow, deliberate breaths to calm the mind and reinforce the shift in focus.

"You take a couple of slow breaths while you X out, save draft. No."
— Rebecca Hunter [00:06:20]

This combination of verbal affirmation and breathing acts as a cognitive reset, helping to disengage from the distracting stimulus.

Step 3: Implement Tough Love

The final step involves decisive action to eliminate the source of distraction. Rebecca recommends:

Immediate Closure: Exit the distracting task or tab without salvaging the incomplete work.
No Draft Saves: Resist the urge to save partial progress, thereby breaking the reward loop that often perpetuates distraction.

"I get out of whatever I was in immediately. I just X out, you know, the little red X... I do not save anything that I was working on when I got distracted."
— Rebecca Hunter [00:05:30]

This "tough love" approach ensures that distractions do not receive the reinforcement they seek, effectively diminishing their appeal over time.

The Neuroscience Behind Distraction Management

Rebecca touches upon the neurological incentives that make distractions enticing, particularly for creative and empathic individuals:

"Your brain does not like that, friend. That baby wants more reward all the time."
— Rebecca Hunter [00:07:00]

By consistently applying the Three Magic Words technique, the brain gradually learns to deprioritize distractions, thereby fostering an environment conducive to sustained focus and creativity.

Personal Anecdotes and Relatability

Interspersed with practical advice, Rebecca shares personal experiences to illustrate the effectiveness of the technique:

"I was halfway through, maybe done, maybe getting ready to send when I noticed that I'm in the wrong task, I X out... save draft. No."
— Rebecca Hunter [00:05:50]

These anecdotes serve to humanize the process, making it relatable and demonstrating real-world application.

Conclusion and Takeaways

Rebecca wraps up the episode by reinforcing the key insights:

Empowerment Through Choice: Emphasizes that listeners have control over their focus and distractions.

"You always get to choose. When you do your work, nothing is written in stone. It's your project, friend."
— Rebecca Hunter [00:08:30]

Impact on Creativity: Highlights that reducing distractions can significantly enhance creative output.

"Distraction is one of the worst killers of our creativity."
— Rebecca Hunter [00:07:45]

Call to Action: Encourages listeners to practice the Three Magic Words technique throughout the week, promising further insights in upcoming full episodes.

"Practice this small shift this week and I'll see you for the full episode on Friday."
— Rebecca Hunter [00:09:00]

Additional Resources

Rebecca directs listeners to additional support and tools available on the Take Out Therapy website:

"Find more tools anytime@takeouttherapy.com."
— Rebecca Hunter [00:01:50]

Key Quotes:

"This can wait. This can wait." — Rebecca Hunter [00:04:50]
"I get out of whatever I was in immediately. I just X out, you know, the little red X." — Rebecca Hunter [00:05:30]
"Distraction is one of the worst killers of our creativity." — Rebecca Hunter [00:07:45]

Final Thoughts

In this episode, Rebecca Hunter provides a succinct yet comprehensive approach to managing distractions through the integration of CBT and somatic therapy. The Three Magic Words technique serves as a practical tool for busy empaths striving to maintain focus and enhance their creative capacities. By combining cognitive strategies with decisive actions, Rebecca offers a balanced method that addresses both the mind and body, empowering listeners to navigate their daily challenges with greater ease and intentionality.

For those seeking more in-depth discussions and additional strategies, Rebecca invites listeners to tune into future episodes and explore resources available at takeouttherapy.com.

Transcript

Rebecca Hunter (0:00)

In today's takeout therapy mini session, I'm gonna teach you three magic words that will instantly cure your distraction problem. We're gonna use cognitive behavioral therapy, a little bit of body based therapy, and my usual dose of tough love. Stick around, let's get some stuff done. Welcome to today's mini session. I'm Rebecca Hunter, a seasoned therapist and coach, here to bring you a short therapy informed insight for your week with mindfulness and self compassion and way less overthinking. These quick episodes are for busy empaths ready to feel more grounded and navigate life with way less chaos. Find more tools anytime@takeouttherapy.com. well, hello there, friend. I'm so glad you stopped in today. I've got a super short one for you. If you ever feel frustrated by your ability to get distracted easily, this is a trick that you can use to just get yourself right back on track. What I want to talk about comes from cognitive behavioral therapy. And if you've been listening to the podcast for any length of time, a lot of the work I do is actually cognitive behavioral therapy. But you'll also hear some somatic therapy worked in there. Somatic therapy is a body based therapy, while cognitive behavioral therapy is a mind based therapy. So what I'm doing when I am using both cognitive behavioral therapy and somatic therapy is we're working from two angles. We're working from the mind and the body. So there's two steps to this trick. So I was just working on my computer and I'm supposed to be recording. I have got a whole list of podcasts I'm recording today and they are going to be good, so stick around. Then I got distracted by an email. So all of a sudden I'm not recording my podcast. I'm no longer in the podcast studio. I'm now doing email. This is a big no because when we let our brain's tasks switch like that, it kills our ability to avoid distraction. So you want to practice not allowing for distraction. If you're somebody who suffers from the same ailment that I do, which is the squirrel syndrome, the like, oh, look, something over here. Anyhoo, so this is my trick and it's pretty simple. But in general, when you notice that you're distracted from whatever the hell you're supposed to be doing, you say a short phrase. I'll give it to you in a second. You take a slow couple of breaths. Did I say deep? Nope, I did not. I said slow. You just take a couple of slow breaths. Right after saying this three Word, phrase. Because we're going to do a little rewiring of the brain here. Repetition is key, right? So you say a little phrase and then you take a couple slow breaths and you go back to what you were doing without any more thought, without any more inner commentary about your opinion about the fact that you're so distracted all the time. And my statement that I'm going to share with you in this specific instance, right? I'm on the computer all of a sudden. I'm on the WR tab and I'm going hog wild. I wake the hell up from the trance that I was just in and I say, this can wait. This can wait. Could it possibly be any simpler? But now we have to get to the next part. And what I do, this is the tough love part. So it might be really hard for some of you, but this is what I do because it freaking works. I get out of whatever I was in immediately. I just X out, you know, the little red X. And when I say X out, I mean, if I was so deep into that email that I actually was halfway through, maybe done, maybe getting ready to send when I noticed that I'm in the wrong task, I X out, do I save the draft? No, I do not save anything that I was working on when I got distracted. This is just my extra little loving pat on the back and encouragement to stay focused because I just said this can wait. I took a couple slow breaths while I xed out, save draft. No. And I go immediately back to what I'm doing. And I just want to highlight this last part for you because there's no internal dialogue, there's no opinion about what just happened because believe me, you, I could go into a spiral like I was three quarters of the way through an email and I just have to toss it now because of my silly rules. But I'll tell you, this little skill set exercises a couple of different things and really will help your mind to understand the difference between focus and distraction. Because when you take away the reward of the distraction, your brain does not like that, friend. That baby wants more reward all the time. So that's why you do this in this way. X out, no saving traps. I don't care if you were halfway through your manifesto, dude. X out distraction is one of the worst killers of our creativity. And so sometimes in my workflow, I allow for distraction and sometimes I use this skill. So you get to choose. You always get to choose. When you do your work, nothing is written in stone. It's your project, friend. Just continue on with it. I hope this is super helpful for you today. In this episode, I hope you've learned that your brain wants to be distracted, but it doesn't get to be in charge. You can interrupt that trance with one clear phrase and a couple of slow breaths and maybe a little tough love. And yeah, it might mean throwing out a half written email. That's the whole point. That's your mini session for today. Practice this small shift this week and I'll see you for the full episode on Friday. And remember, you can always find more support at takeouttherapy. Com. Until next time, take really good care of yourself friend, and I will too.