Defeating Negative Thoughts in Hard Times
"We all have them. We may allow them to play on repeat in our minds when we know we should brush them off and let them pass by. We may allow them to ruin our day when really we want to actively defy them.
How to Avoid the Trap
1. Notice.
2. Separate yourself, the thought, and the emotion.
This will help you in determining a more realistic and positive thought. After this, remind yourself that the emotion is a passing piece of data, but that you are not the emotion.
3. Recognize their effect on your mind, body, mood, and behavior.
Ask yourself:
- What is my body feeling right now as a result of this thought?
- What am I experiencing emotionally as a result of this thought?
- How is this thought impacting my mood? My behavior? My motivation?
- What will happen if I keep thinking this way?
4. Take the thought in, then let it go.
5. If you cannot let it go, play detective. Just the facts.
You can ask yourself questions like:
- What evidence do I have that this thought is true?
- How could I prove this thought could be false?
- Could this thought stem from prolonged exposure to current national stressors?
- If I were talking to a friend in this position, what would I say to them?
- What is a more positive and helpful way of looking at this?
- What will happen if I think about this from a more positive standpoint?
- Even if this thought is true, so what? What of it? Will I really care about this a year from now? Will anyone else really be hurt by it? Does it really matter in the long run?
6. Be adventurous with experiential exercises.
7. Follow up with reflective questions like:
- Was it really as bad as I thought it was going to be?
- What went well?
- What can I do next time to make it better?
- How did I gain the bravery and power necessary to overcome this?"
Read the complete article available at Psychology Today!
Reflection:
Do you struggle with persistent negative thoughts pestering your mind throughout the day?
*Whenever I make a mistake or mess something up, I tend to blame myself and let negative thoughts about myself accumulate without fighting against them. I think self-compassion can go a long way in putting an end to these thoughts.*
#Negativity #Thoughts #Emotions
@comfortableNight4463
Great Post!
I must admit, I do have these struggles. So, I will be using this to try to be more mindful. :)