At some point, most people find themselves experiencing negative thoughts about themselves, the world, or their future. It’s part of being human. However, it is possible that your negative thoughts can actually interfere with your functioning because your thoughts are directly linked to both mood and behavior. Persistent negative thinking can be a symptom of anxiety or depressive disorders and may also be linked to certain medical problems.
Have you wondered what you can do to encourage a more positive mindset? Take a look at the list below to see how you can reduce those negative thoughts.
- Become familiar with a list of common cognitive distortions (created by Aaron T. Beck in the 1960’s). Cognitive distortions are errors in logic that lead to incorrect conclusions. Cognitive Behavior Therapy – StatPearls – NCBI Bookshelf (nih.gov)
- Increase your awareness of your negative thinking by jotting down some of the negative thoughts you have had recently.
- Identify the cognitive distortion you are using.
- “I’ll never overcome this problem,” (all or nothing thinking)
- “The world is such a terrible place” (overgeneralizing)
- “What if something bad happens? (catastrophizing)
- Try to look at the situation from a different perspective.
- “I have gotten through tough situations before. I can do it again.”
- “There are bad things in the world, but there are a lot of good things too.”
- “Thinking something bad will happen doesn’t make it happen.”
- Practice gratitude. Observe things you are grateful for, whether it’s small, like a good cup of coffee in the morning, or something more significant, like a new job.
- Practice self-compassion. We are often our own harshest critics. Try using this rule of thumb, “if you wouldn’t say it to a friend, don’t say it to yourself.”
As always, if you feel like you need more assistance in getting out of an unhealthy pattern of thinking, don’t hesitate to reach out to a mental health professional.
Francine Rosenberg, PsyD., practices cognitive-behavior therapy, specializing in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder as well as other anxiety disorders.
