Introduction
You might not realize it, but your thoughts have a lot of power over how you feel and how you act. If you’re regularly having negative thoughts, they can impact your mental and physical health in a number of ways. The good news is, there are steps you can take to squash those negative thought patterns!
All-or-Nothing Thinking
One of the most common negative thought patterns is all-or-nothing thinking. This is when you see things as black and white, with no middle ground. You might think that you’re a total failure if you don’t achieve your goal, or that you’re worthless if you make a mistake.
All-or-nothing thinking is often at the heart of perfectionism, which can be a major obstacle to achieving your goals. If you’re a perfectionist, it’s important to learn to accept mistakes and imperfections. Remember that everyone makes mistakes – even successful people. And even if you don’t achieve your goal, that doesn’t mean you’re a failure. It just means that you didn’t reach your goal this time.
If you find yourself thinking in all-or-nothing terms, try to reframe your thoughts. For example, instead of thinking “I failed,” try telling yourself “I didn’t reach my goal this time, but I will keep trying.” Or instead of thinking “I made a mistake, so I must be stupid,” try telling yourself “Everybody make mistakes, it’s part of life”.
Overgeneralization
One of the most common negative thought patterns is overgeneralization. This is when you take one negative event and assume that it will always happen, or that it represents your entire life. For example, if you fail a test, you might think “I’m such a failure” or “I’ll never be good at this”. This kind of thinking is not only inaccurate, but it can also lead to a spiral of negative emotions that can be hard to break out of.
To squash this kind of thinking, try to remember that one event does not define your whole life. It’s important to look at the bigger picture and not let one setback determine your worth or abilities. Everyone has bad days, but that doesn’t mean that you’re a bad person.
Discounting the Positive
It’s easy to fall into the trap of negative thinking, especially when things aren’t going our way. We tend to dwell on the negative and discount the positive, which can lead to some pretty destructive thought patterns. The next time you catch yourself thinking something negative about yourself, try to counter it with something positive. If you can’t think of anything, ask a friend or loved one what they see in you.
Recognizing Your Worth
The first step to loving yourself is recognizing your worth. This can be difficult if you’ve been through a lot of tough times or if you don’t have anyone in your life who believes in you. Try to remember all the things that make you unique and special. Write them down and refer back to them when you’re feeling down about yourself. You might also want to read inspiring books or watch motivational videos to help remind you of your potential.
Taking Care of Yourself
Loving yourself means taking care of yourself, both physically and emotionally. Eat healthy foods, exercise regularly, and get enough sleep. Make time for activities that make you happy and relax when you’re feeling stressed. Avoid harmful substances like drugs and alcohol, which can only make things worse. Seek professional help if you’re struggling with depression, anxiety, or other mental health issues.
Mental Filtering
One of the most common negative thought patterns is mental filtering. This is when you take the negative aspects of a situation and magnify them while filtering out the positive aspects. For example, you might think, “I had a terrible day at work. My boss was so critical of my work and everyone was ignoring me.” But what about the good parts of your day? Perhaps you made some progress on a project, or you had a nice conversation with a colleague. Mental filtering can blind you to the positive aspects of a situation and make it seem much worse than it actually is.
Mind Reading / Fortune Telling
Do you find yourself mind reading or fortune telling often? If so, you’re not alone. Many people do this without even realizing it. Mind reading is when you assume you know what someone is thinking, and fortune telling is when you predict the future.
Both of these things can be negative thought patterns that lead to anxiety and stress. If you can learn to identify when you’re doing them, you can start to squash these thoughts before they take over.
Here are some tips:
- Pay attention to your thoughts. When you find yourself mind reading or fortune telling, stop and take notice. Just acknowledging that you’re doing it can help to break the pattern.
- Challenge your assumptions. When you mind read, ask yourself if there’s any evidence to support what you’re thinking. Chances are, there isn’t. And even if there is, remember that people are complex and their thoughts may not be as black-and-white as you think.
- Be present. Instead of worrying about the future or dwelling on the past, try to focus on the present moment. This can be easier said than done, but it’s worth practicing. Mindfulness meditation is one way to help you focus on the here and now.
- Talk to the person involved. If you’re mind reading about someone else, talk to them directly to see if your assumptions are correct. This can be tough, but it can help to clear things up.
- Practice self-compassion. Beating yourself up for mind reading or fortune telling will only make things worse. Instead, try to be gentle with yourself. Everyone has negative thought patterns from time to time, so cut yourself some slack.
Catastrophizing / Magnifying Negatives
We all have negative thoughts from time to time. But when these thoughts become chronic and start to impact our daily lives, it’s time to take action.
- Catastrophizing: This is when you blow a minor problem out of proportion and convince yourself that it’s a disaster. For example, you spill coffee on your shirt and think, “This is the worst day ever!”
- Magnifying negatives: This is when you focus on the one bad thing that happened, while downplaying the good. For example, you have a great day at work but focus on the one negative comment your boss made.
Emotional Reasoning
One of the most common negative thought patterns is emotional reasoning. This is when you believe that because you feel a certain way, it must be true. For example, if you feel like a failure, you may believe that you are actually a failure. Or, if you feel anxious about an upcoming event, you may believe that something bad will happen.
The problem with emotional reasoning is that our emotions can be misleading. Just because we feel something doesn’t mean it’s true. In fact, our emotions are often based on our thoughts and beliefs, which may not be accurate.
If you find yourself using emotional reasoning, try to take a step back and look at the situation objectively. What evidence do you have to support your feelings? Are there other ways to interpret the situation? Once you’ve identified the evidence, you can start to question your beliefs and see if they hold up. If not, it may be time to let go of those negative emotions and start moving forward.
Labeling / Mislabeling
One of the most common negative thought patterns is labeling, or mislabeling. This is when we take one negative event and label ourselves based on it. For example, if we make a mistake at work, we might label ourselves as a “failure.” This can lead to a spiral of negative thinking and feelings.
To squash this negative thought pattern, try to catch yourself when you’re doing it. Acknowledge that you’re labeling yourself and try to see the situation for what it really is. Mistakes happen to everyone and they don’t define who you are as a person. Instead of dwelling on the negative, focus on what you can learn from the situation and how you can do better next time.
Personalization
One of the most common negative thought patterns is personalization. This is when you take something that happens to you personally and assume that it’s because of something you did. For example, if you have a bad day at work, you might think “I must be terrible at my job” or “I’m such a screw up”. Personalization can lead to a lot of self-doubt and feeling like you’re not good enough.
The first step to squashing this negative thought pattern is to become aware of it. Pay attention to the times when you Start to personalize things. Once you’re aware of it, you can start to challenge your thoughts. Ask yourself if there’s really any evidence to support what you’re thinking. Chances are, there isn’t.
Personalization is often based on irrational beliefs. These are beliefs that we hold onto even though they’re not true. For example, some people believe that they have to be perfect in order to be accepted. This isn’t true, but holding onto this belief can lead to personalization. If you make a mistake, you might think “I’m such a screw up” instead of seeing it as a normal part of life.
Conclusion
If you’re struggling with negative thinking, know that you’re not alone. These nine common negative thought patterns are experienced by many people on a daily basis. But the good news is that they can be overcome! By using the tips and techniques in this article, you can start to squash those negative thoughts and turn them into positive ones. You deserve to live a happy, positive life — so start today!