3 Ways to Conquer Negative Beliefs About Yourself
Core beliefs were first described by cognitive therapist Aaron T. Beck. They are deeply held views that people have about themselves, others, and the world.
People tend to have both positive and negative core beliefs. Positive core beliefs include thoughts like, "I am a likable person," or, "People are usually trustworthy." However, when people experience emotional distress, negative core beliefs get activated. In turn, these negative thoughts make people feel even worse. Often, when a negative core belief is activated, people tend to believe it strongly, even feeling like it is true.
When we are young we start to develop views about ourselves and the world. These beliefs are usually heavily impacted by what people tell us and our experiences. For example, someone who grows up in a household with very critical parents or a mean sibling might start to believe those negative things about themselves.
In addition, there are genetic and biological influences on our thinking patterns. People genetically prone to depression or anxiety are more likely to have these negative thoughts. They might get stuck in the cycle of low mood or high anxiety, activating negative core beliefs, which reinforce the mood and anxiety, and so forth.
Steps to Address Negative Core Beliefs
1. Realize that you are not alone. Often people think they are the only ones who feel like something is wrong with them. If only everyone could see a negative core belief thought bubble over everyone else's head, people would realize that they are very common.
2. Challenge your beliefs. Negative core beliefs tend to have an all-encompassing, all-or-nothing quality to them. When you challenge these beliefs, you mustn't simply think positive thoughts. That won't work. Instead, it's better to develop a more realistic thought that you will believe.
3. Acknowledge, validate, and move on. Another approach to these thoughts is: acknowledging the thought, validating yourself, and moving on to doing something else. You can distract yourself or refocus your attention on something important to you or what you value.
Refection on this article;
- Most of our negative beliefs start during childhood and will continue to adulthood if the belief is not challenged
- Challenging the beliefs will give you power over them.
#Positivity #Confidence #Mentalhealth #Emotions
Thank you
This is a area I can improve/ change
@generousBalloon786 You're most welcome! I wish you well in your journey.
@comfortableNight4463 Recognizing our negative core beliefs and changing our thought process before we can be hard on ourselves is so hard, but so important! If we don't change our mindset, then who will?! We are not alone in our lives, but I ultimately think it is up to us to change the course of how we think about ourselves.
@fruityPond7887 Agreed! Ultimately, the only person who 'thinks' for you, is you only. The actions you take and the decisions you make are majorly influenced by your mindset. Therefore, it should be a strong, sound one.
@comfortableNight4463 Exactly! Having a support system can be essential to making the decisions that are right for us, but no one can make those decisions except for us.
@fruityPond7887 Exactly!
@butterlycow
@magicalOcean594 thank you 💗
@butterlycow I hope it helps!
@magicalOcean594 Thank you for sharing this article!
This is really good!! These days i’m struggling to think positively after something happned a month ago but i’m trying to keep a positive mindset as best i can😭😭
@insightfulFlamingo28 I'm so sorry to hear that you've been going through a difficult time. I hope that this article has been able to help. Take care! Sending love! You are going to get through this. You got this!