AUTOMATIC NEGATIVE THINKING, AND HOW TO STOP IT

Spending too much time dwelling on things we can’t change can hold us back. It’s easy to dwell on the past, replaying situations in our mind that can’t be changed, or worrying about the future. Actually that’s worrying about potential futures, what might go wrong. Wouldn’t it be better to save our energy, and use it for something better?

• Negative self-talk. This is where we tell ourselves about all the things we can’t do. We can be very self-critical, and say things to ourselves we would never say to anyone else. It’s like there’s a gremlin in there always ready to jump out and attack. Help yourself by bringing your thoughts, gently, back to the moment.
• Do you catastrophise? To see things from the worst possible perspective? When one thing goes wrong, we might believe ‘it’s all gone wrong!’. You might helpfully ask yourself ‘How bad actually is it, on a scale from 1 to 10?’ This can help you to take a step back and help to put things in perspective.
• And putting things in perspective can be assisted by collecting positive thoughts. Psychologists have shown that keeping a ‘gratitude diary’, which involves writing down three good things at the end of every day makes people feel better about themselves, and their lives. It might be you saw a beautiful sunset, or someone gave you a hug, whatever small thing, remember it and save it for the diary later.
• Do some mindfulness exercises: they help to reduce stress, and to improve our focus and a sense of wellbeing. Maybe take a Mindful Walk, in a place where you can see some nature, and be aware of the smells, sights and sounds. Draw your attention to your feet making contact with the ground _ the sensation underfoot, and the sounds. Notice how your breathing changes as you step out, is it becoming slower? Or deeper? Maybe you could integrate a bit of walking into your daily schedule, in your lunch hour or at the end of the work day.
• Changes begin small, but can make a big difference.