The Downward Spiral of Automatic Thoughts
Do you ever find yourself suddenly overwhelmed by negative thoughts about yourself? Even on days when you feel accomplished or happy, that inner voice can quickly remind you of your perceived shortcomings and unworthiness. This voice, while familiar, is often deceptive and does not reflect reality.
Our minds are hard-wired to have a negative bias, a remnant of our evolutionary past where survival depended on evaluating threats and dangers. However, these survival instincts are less relevant in our daily lives today.
The negative and exaggerated thought patterns we experience are known as automatic thoughts or cognitive distortions, and they affect everyone at some point. For some individuals, regularly engaging with these thoughts can lead to a distorted view of themselves, their relationships, and the world around them.
Breaking free from this downward spiral of negativity becomes increasingly difficult when you start believing that these thoughts are normal. Recognizing that these automatic thoughts are harmful is essential for change; after all, you cannot address what you do not acknowledge.
Understanding the nature of these thoughts is the first step toward reclaiming your self-worth and fostering a more realistic, neutral or even positive mindset.
Here are a few types of automatic thoughts:
I may have aced the science test, but it doesn’t even matter because I still suck at math.
What if? What if they think I’m weird? What if something bad happens?
I’m not beautiful. They were just being nice.
She hasn’t responded yet. She must hate me.
I did him a favor, so it’s only fair that he does xyz for me.
It’s your fault that I feel this way.
I should never make mistakes.
My opinion is better than everyone else’s.
How can you stop thinking negatively?
If you are constantly bombarded by these types of thoughts, you can become stressed, anxious, and overwhelmed.
The first step is recognizing these negative filters and understanding them for what they are. They are not a representation of who you truly are, so work on redirecting them into positive thoughts and energy.
Some other helpful practices include:
Practicing gratitude. Try to focus on the positive things in your life instead of harping on the negative. Start by writing down 3 things that you’re thankful for. When you can find things about yourself or others that you appreciate, this positivity can filter out the cynicism associated with automatic thoughts.
Mindfulness. Take a step back and remind yourself that things aren’t as bad as they seem. Clear your mind with some easy mindfulness exercises that you can find on this blog. Even if those bad thoughts start to creep into your mind, mindfulness can help ground you and relieve some stress and anxiety.
Self-love and care. Be kind to yourself even when you don’t feel your best. You are not lazy or worthless because you didn’t complete your daily tasks. Tomorrow is a new day to prove that you can do it, so allow yourself to be human. Take a bubble bath, go for a walk, or do whatever else makes you happy.
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