Inquiry-Based Stress Reduction is an innovative method that is based on and adapted from “The Work”, developed in the U.S. in 1986 by Byron Katie, which is based on the premise that the underlying cause of stress and emotional distress originates from beliefs that are not necessarily compatible with reality.
The three-step approach of inquiry-based stress reduction
The intervention is a three-step process.
The first step is to identify a specific belief or thought that increases stress levels (e.g., stress due to the behavior of a family member at home or the boss at work) (See ‘Judge-your-neighbor’ worksheet).
The second step is to answer the following four questions to evaluate the stressful thought:
1. Is it true?
Is the thought valid? The goal is to take a step back and evaluate whether the belief is consistent with reality.
2. Can you know, beyond any doubt, that it’s true?
The second question reinforces the first and helps determine the certainty of the thought and if any doubts exist.
3. How do you react, what happens, when you believe that thought?
This three-part question helps examine the consequences of the belief. It explores how the thought affects one’s emotions, behaviors, and interactions with others.
4. Who would you be without the thought?
The final question creates an imaginary scenario where the individual doesn’t believe the thought and considers how the absence of the stressful thought or belief will make them be different.
The third and final step involves turning around the initial belief or stressful thought and interpret it differently. This can bring a turnaround in their belief systems, thereby reducing the associated stress.
Example
Identification: When at work, an employee notices that his boss is looking at him. He thinks that the boss doesn’t like him that’s why he’s looking at him and this thought leads to increased stress levels.
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- Is it true? Yes
- Can you know, beyond any doubt, that it’s true? Could there be other reasons that the boss was looking at me? Maybe he has a project in mind that he thinks I would be good for?
- How do you react, what happens, when you believe that thought? Believing the thought that the boss doesn’t like me will make me feel threatened and I won’t be able to work to the best of my abilities.
- Who would you be without the thought? Not believing that the boss hates me, I will be more relaxed, work productively, and might be more open and collaborative with my boss and colleagues.
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The turnaround: the threat belief that my boss doesn’t like me can be turned around into a non-threat belief that my boss was just looking at me (see below).
Benefits of inquiry-based stress reduction
The above approach is implemented through regular facilitator-led group or individual sessions (or a combination of both) over an extended period.
For example, the recent study that showed that the IBSR may be beneficial in symptoms of burnout included standardized 10 biweekly group meetings (2.5 h/meeting) and biweekly individual sessions with a facilitator (1 h/session) for 20 weeks.
The intervention has been tested through multiple studies and following are some of the benefits suggested by research thus far.
Controls stress, anxiety, and depression, and promote well-being
The first and most important benefit of IBSR is the reduction of stress. Initial studies also show that it is effective in improving depression and anxiety and enhancing happiness and wellness. It was found to elevate mental health and wellbeing among cancer patients and BRCA1/2 carriers.
Manages burnout
IBSR may be beneficial in symptoms of burnout. This aspect is especially relevant for individuals in high-stress professions or environments.
Improves sleep quality
There is some evidence that inquiry-based stress reduction aids people who suffer from sleep disorders, such as insomnia.
What’s next?
The simplicity and adaptability of IBSR makes it a uniquely valuable approach to managing stress and common mental health conditions. Initial studies are very promising and further research is being conducted to ascertain its effectiveness as part of psychotherapy treatment.
