Negative thought patterns can have a stranglehold on our lives.
They can turn a peaceful mind into a plethora of worry and fear.
Often these negative thought patterns creep in slowly, like a slow-moving dark cloud on a sunny summer day. But over time, they can become our everyday thought patterns, and the sunny day we were once enjoying becomes a treacherous storm that is seemingly out of control.
What are negative thought patterns?
Negative thought patterns, which can be referred to as Automatic Negative Thoughts (ANT’s), are “The conscious or subconscious thoughts that occur in response to everyday events. These thoughts are irrational, self-defeating, and may fuel social anxiety disorder (SAD).”
How do negative thought patterns cause anxiety?
Negative thought patterns are usually associated with higher anxiety. An increase in negative thinking has been linked to social anxiety. One form of therapy, known as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), promotes the idea that what you think can influence how you feel and what you do.
One example would be if you’re going out on a first date and you’re having negative thoughts such as “I am not good enough” or “I am not attractive.” These thoughts can influence what we say and how we act on that date. Even if on a very conscious level, we’d like the date to go well. Negative thought patterns can impact us on a deep level.
COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY
As mentioned above (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), CBT is a form of therapy that teaches how to reframe thoughts in a more realistic perspective. The act of reframing these thoughts is called “cognitive reframing.” In CBT, you learn to become aware of your thoughts, question them, and then reframe the narrative in your mind.
The key to this is time.
No significant changes occur overnight, especially with cognitive reframing. By practicing this technique daily, you can slowly begin to reframe the negative thought patterns into more realistic ones.
COGNITIVE DISTORTIONS
Cognitive distortions are “Unpleasant thoughts that are extreme, exaggerated or not consistent with what is going on in the real world.”
They can lead to shifts in moods and, eventually, unhealthy behaviors and habits. There are quite a few cognitive distortions that can lead to other problems down the line, such as anxiety.
Common cognitive distortions that can cause negative thought patterns include:
- Catastrophizing – Always thinking worst-case scenario.
- “Should” Statements – The feeling of always thinking you are not living up to certain expectations of what you “should” be doing in a given situation.
- Blaming – Focusing on a singular cause of a complex problem.
- All-or-nothing thinking – Seeing every situation as absolute or black and white.
- Ignoring the positive – Having a blind eye to the positive in situations.
- Mental filters – Only seeing the negative in situations.
Reframing can help to transform all of these cognitive distortions.
But what are ways to reframe these thoughts?
LEARN AND UNDERSTAND YOUR THINKING PATTERNS
When it comes to reframing negative thought patterns, you need to start with a foundation. That foundation is anchored by doing a little investigative work. You need to understand your negative thought patterns. Now, this may sound relatively simple, but you’d be surprised how many thoughts slip past our conscious minds.
The first thing you need to do is understand the types of negative thought patterns that can increase your stress and anxiety levels, such as the cognitive distortions mentioned above. Once you grasp what those are and how they affect your anxiety, you can then observe your thinking patterns and see which are serving you and which are holding you back and causing you stress.
USE MINDFULNESS TO NOTICE YOUR THOUGHTS
Mindfulness is defined as “The practice of maintaining a nonjudgmental state of heightened or complete awareness of one’s thoughts, emotions, or experiences on a moment-to-moment basis.”
The goal of mindfulness is relatively straightforward yet often challenging, staying hyper-focused in the present moment and being keenly aware of what is going on around you without becoming judgmental. This includes how you’re feeling externally (the five senses) and internally (thoughts and emotions.)
In essence, mindfulness is being in full awareness of your state of being and surroundings at the present moment.
Using mindfulness can help you become more aware of your thought patterns. It may take a little time to get acquainted with checking in on your thoughts and observing them, but once you do, you can then begin to spot patterns that will help to reframe.
HERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF MINDFULNESS YOU CAN USE
Mindful Walking – A simple yet effective mindfulness exercise. You can walk down your street, around your house, or through a hiking trail. The key to mindful walking is to be fully aware of your surroundings and the internal state of being (thoughts + emotions) while taking in those surroundings.
Deep Breathing Techniques – As explained in this article, deep breathing has many benefits that help reduce anxiety and stress and keep us focused. When you focus on your breath, you’re placing your full attention on each breath and strengthening your mindfulness muscle.
Five Senses Exercise – This is a popular technique used by many therapists to help those struggling with obsessive thoughts and anxiety. Some call it the 5-4-3-2-1 exercise. You want to notice five things you can see; four things you can feel, three things you can hear, two things you can smell, one thing you can taste.
Sitting Meditation – The traditional form of meditation – sitting meditation has been around for thousands of years. The key is to sit down with your eyes closed and focus on observing your thoughts instead of getting caught up in them.
The Body Scan – This is a fun and relaxing form of mindfulness. You will lie flat on your back with your legs and arms spread and palms facing up. You want to focus your awareness on each part of your body, from head to toe or toe to head. Notice any thoughts, emotions, or sensations associated with each part of your body.
WRITE DOWN YOUR THOUGHTS
Writing down or journaling your thoughts is an easy and efficient way to observe them physically. Journaling is an excellent way to get negative thoughts out of your head as well. Often, we may not even realize that a negative thought stuck in our heads has been increasing our anxiety until we see it in front of us.
A big part of reframing is observing and writing down your thoughts.
One easy way to start doing this is to follow a simple technique:
Once you begin to feel an emotion such as anxiety, stop and ask yourself, “What am I thinking right now?” And then jot it down somewhere.
Doing this does two things: it will give you concrete evidence of what you’ve been thinking about that is creating the anxiety, and secondly, it will also give you feedback about your thought processes over a long period. And this feedback can help you analyze and reframe these thoughts.
CHALLENGE AND FACT CHECK YOUR THOUGHTS
Many times we believe our thoughts as if they’re real. If these thoughts tend to be negative-based, our perception of a particular situation or person may be exaggerated or completely false. Our reality becomes a world filled with half-truths or flat-out lies, all because we believe all of our thoughts.
One of the best ways to challenge your thoughts is to ask yourself, “What proof is there that this thought is true?”
By asking this question over time, you will begin to get better at calling out your nonsense.
For example, you might want to go on a vacation, but you’re terrified to fly on a plane. So you begin telling yourself, “The plane is going to crash; I won’t even make it there!” This is also called catastrophizing or thinking of the worst-case scenario all the time. Now let’s look at the actual reality of the situation. Sure, your plane could crash, but what are the odds of that happening? Statistically speaking, they are astronomically low. So in challenging your thoughts, you might reply with, “What proof do I have that the plane is going to crash?” Once you do just a little bit of research, you’d realize how low the risk is of that happening.
The key to this technique is to separate emotional opinions from objective facts. Once you have the facts in front of you, it’s more challenging to maintain your original thought if the facts don’t back up what the thought implied. Doing this takes time and patience, but it can be a real game-changer when faced with negative-based thoughts that create unneeded anxiety.
TURN A THOUGHT INTO AN ACTION THAT WILL POTENTIALLY MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER
Your negative-based thoughts can trick you into believing all sorts of things. One trap that people tend to fall into with these thoughts is that when your situation isn’t as serious as someone else’s, you might tell yourself, “That person is going through much worse than me, so I shouldn’t be feeling this way.” Or you may tell yourself, “That person has gone through so much and never complains, so I shouldn’t either!”
Sure, there will always be someone who has it worse, but that doesn’t mean you should ignore or minimize your feelings in a particular situation.
One powerful way of accepting where you are without minimizing it is by turning these comparisons into taking action.
Let’s say that you feel like you have it much more comfortable than someone else, then go volunteer your time somewhere. Or donate money to a charity or cause you support. Or call a friend or family member who is struggling. Taking this sort of action can make us feel better while also not minimizing our situation.
STICK TO REFRAMING TECHNIQUES FOR AT LEAST A WEEK BEFORE SWITCHING
One of the most common things you’ll hear in the mental health field is that you need to experiment with different techniques to find the ones that will ultimately work for you. When it comes to anxiety and stress, this rings true since every person is unique and has different needs.
But it’s vital to remember that you need to give it time when it comes to reframing your thoughts!
Reframing your thoughts may feel strange and uncomfortable for a while, and that’s okay; it’s a natural feeling when you’ve never had any experience doing it. But it’s important to remember that it takes time and daily effort to reframe thoughts and make them a habit. Reframing thoughts won’t automatically make you feel better; it’s a gradual process. Give it time, practice it daily, and you’ll eventually reap the rewards.
REPLACE WITH MORE REALISTIC THOUGHTS
(NOT “POSITIVE” ONES)
Have you ever told someone your problems, and the first thing they say back is, “Just think positive!”
In theory, it sounds lovely, but it isn’t always helpful when dealing with reality. Negative thought patterns can creep in at any time, and trying to change the narrative from negative to positive isn’t always realistic or even beneficial. Instead, try changing the narrative from negative to realistic.
For example, let’s say that you are giving a speech in front of your entire company. In the days leading up to the speech, you are worried, fearful, and keep thinking to yourself, “I will mess up in front of everyone, and they will all think I’m a fraud! I know I will fail!”
This sort of negative thought pattern known as catastrophizing is common.
But instead of trying to turn the negative thought “I will fail!” into something entirely positive, try for something more realistic, such as “While I may not be perfect, I’m likely going to do okay.” Being realistic yet hopeful is more believable and likely, rather than using blind optimism.
IN REVIEW
Negative thought patterns can be tricky to reframe, so give yourself some grace. If you are someone who has struggled with these types of negative thought patterns for your entire life, then it will take longer to observe, challenge, and reframe. But if you stay the course, over time, you will begin to notice that your once automatic negative thoughts will slowly turn into thoughts that are more realistic and even hopeful. Give it time, practice daily, and you will see results.
Although we strive to provide accurate general information, the information presented here is not a substitute for any kind of professional advice, and you should not rely solely on this information. Always consult a professional in the medical and health area for your particular needs and circumstances prior to making any medical or health-related decisions. For your health-related questions, please seek the advice of a licensed physician or any other qualified health care provider immediately.
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