![]() ![]() You could be constantly worrying about the future or thinking about things that have already happened. ![]() Negative self-talk is where a person blames themselves (or others) for what they believe is going wrong. How to break free of the negative thinking loop If you are worried that you, or a family member, may be stuck in a negative loop, there are a few ways you can break free of this thought pattern. It’s important that we work to challenge and control negative thinking, especially during times of crisis, to avoid these ongoing effects on our mental health and wellbeing. Ongoing negative thinking can also cause us to catastrophise – or jump only to thoughts of the very worst (and often the rarest) outcome. There are also times that dwelling excessively on an issue (also known as rumination) can become damaging to our health – increasing not only stress and anxiety, but also contributing to depression, post-traumatic stress, as well as to unhealthy patterns with food, alcohol or drugs. “It’s important that we work to challenge and control negative thinking, especially during times of crisis.”ĭespite these reactions being a valuable protection mechanism, there are times when these feelings can be out of proportion to the situation at hand, or to what we are able to control. Negative thoughts and constant feelings of anxiety are just one of many ways we react to feeling under threat. This is understandable as humans have evolved to be hard wired to react to things that are, or are perceived to be, a threat to us and our family. The COVID-19 crisis has been a source of stress and emotional health challenges for many people, which has resulted in an increase in issues like anxiety, depression and loneliness. Watch what you’re watching (and reading).Focus on positive people (and aim to be on e).Then ask yourself, “Do I want to buy the thought that I am _?” Consider what it will cost you and if it’s really a good investment. Label your thoughts: judgment, criticism, comparison, exaggeration, etc. Thoughts for Sale: Distinguish between a thought you are having and a thought you are buying as true.A Bossy Bully: Treat your thought like a bully on the playground of adulthood and ask, “Who is in charge here? Is my thought in charge or am I in charge?” If it helps, get a little angry at the thought-colorful language included-as you assert yourself against the bossy bully.It is possible to carry difficult beliefs with you and not let them dictate your actions. Notice that you can carry the thought and not always think it, and also that when you do think the thought, you can still use the key. When you use that key, make yourself think the corresponding thought. Try assigning each of your most common anxious thoughts to a specific key. A Keychain in Your Pocket: You most likely carry a set of keys with you always.You’re not in a position to change it or turn it off instead, you must tolerate it and accept that the thoughts are there and that the noise is unpleasant. The Car Radio That Won’t Turn Off: Imagine that you are sitting in the passenger seat of a car, and the driver has turned on an awful radio station that is playing a soundtrack of your anxious thoughts.Name it “Mind.” When the anxious chatter begins, tell yourself something like, “Well there goes Mind again, chitchatting away” or “Wow, Mind is doing that thing it loves to do, telling me how nothing will ever work out.” By treating the mind as an external, rather than internal, creature you might create enough space between you and your thoughts to feel a bit better. Your Mind, With a Capital “M:” For the sake of this exercise, think of your mind as a separate entity from yourself. ![]()
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