“HELPFUL THINKING” AS A MULTILEVEL STRATEGY FOR COGNITIVE-SEMANTIC SELF-REGULATION OF PERSONALITY UNDER CONDITIONS OF EXTREME DISTRESS

This article presents a theoretical analysis of the phenomenon of helpful thinking as a metacognitive strategy of regulating the subject's relation to their own experience.The relevance of the study is determined by the growing prevalence of prolonged stress, uncertainty, and crisis-related experiences, which require not only symptom-oriented interventions but also the development of cognitive and semantic mechanisms of self-regulation.The aim of the article is to conceptualize helpful thinking as a distinct mode of cognitive functioning and to define its structure and functions within the process of psychological adaptation.The study is theoretical in nature and is based on conceptual analysis, synthesis of contemporary psychological approaches, and integrative modeling.It is argued that helpful thinking is not reducible to positive thinking or to linear forms of cognitive restructuring.Instead, it is characterized by a reflective, contextsensitive, and functionally oriented processing of experience that enables the individual to treat their own thoughts as tentative interpretations rather than objective facts.The article identifies four core components of helpful thinking: metacognitive distancing (defusion), cognitive differentiation, narrative (semantic) integration, and temporal reframing.It is shown that the interaction of these components supports the integration of difficult experience without pathological fixation and contributes to the preservation of psychological integrity, subjective agency, and adaptive functioning.The applied significance of the model lies in its potential use as a conceptual framework for psychological interventions aimed at developing metacognitive awareness, cognitive flexibility, and meaning-making processes in psychotherapeutic, counseling, and educational contexts.The article concludes that helpful thinking may be considered a general mechanism of adaptation and development under conditions of uncertainty.