Negative thoughts about yourself
The vast majority of us have or have had negative thoughts about ourselves at some point in our lives.
However, whilst many of us feel negative now and again, others are plagued with constant negative thinking which can distort the perception of the world they live in until everything they experience feels hopeless.
Often the negative thinker can find their mind at times can be overwhelmed with shaming and blaming thoughts about what we should or shouldn’t be thinking or feeling.
Additionally, negative thinkers create unhelpful and untrue stories about themselves, their bodies and lives. These stories serve as a validation to negative thought patterns often replayed over in their minds repeatedly. This can lead to stress, anxiety, depression and feelings of being unworthy.
The human brain is intrinsically primitive by nature. It is designed to keep us safe and be on the lookout for anything that may harm us, so in essence we are hard wired to a negative bias.
That being said, whilst its hard to fathom, our thoughts have our best interests at heart. Let’s take a closer look at what this really means.
When you have worrying thoughts, those thoughts are usually trying to protect you from making a mistake, or shaming yourself can be a protective measure from the hurtful judgement of others.
So, in essence we are hurting ourselves before something or someone else does.
Tips to reduce Anxiety
What are the impacts of negative thinking?
For the person suffering excessive negative thinking, the impact can be debilitating robbing them from happiness and peace of mind and most often the issue is bigger in the mind of the negative thinker than it really is, often compounding the impact.
Negative thinking also adversely affects relationships, physical and mental health and increases the possibility of chronic diseases such as diabetes, obesity, asthma and cardiac disease.
Stress and stress related illness can appear as a result of continued negative thinking, upsetting the body’s hormone and immune system
What causes negative thoughts?
Research suggests there are many different causes of negative thoughts which include stress, worry and upsetting life events.
One body of research suggests that constant negative thoughts can be linked to depression or Generalised anxiety disorder.
Other theories include:
1. Fearing the unknown can often present concerns leading to catastrophising.
2. Living in the present can also be anxiety provoking leading to negative thinking. Worry about whether you are doing a good job at home or the office, what the traffic will be like when you go out or running late to appointments can lead to worry which drives negative thought processes
3. Negative thinking can also evolve from dwelling on past mistakes and failures which caused embarrassment.
One thing that is certain that has come from the research as reported by Aaron Beck (1960) is that no matter the cause of our negative thought system, the more we let them in the more persuasive they become.
Beck also reports that with time and treatment, negative thought cycles can be unlearned and overcome. For a minority that suffer more serious symptoms, this can possibly indicate a more complex mental health concern, they should always be referred to more specialised treatment through their doctor.
How do I stop excessive thinking?
The key is to practice countering and asking yourself “is this factual or is this fiction?” So, is this true?
So often, the negative thought can be stopped so much quicker if we take a moment to ask and address a couple of quick thoughts and questions.
1. Is the thought true and/or is there a basis for that negative belief?
2. Does the thought give you power or taking power away from you?
3. Is there the ability to put a positive thought in place (countering)?
4. What would my life look like if I didn’t have these negative beliefs?
This practice takes patience and are not quick fixes, but when practiced regularly, thought patterns and processes can and do change for the better