We all have those days when our brains seem determined to drag us down a rabbit hole of negativity. It's like our thoughts have a mind of their own, leaving us feeling anxious, sad, and just plain blah. But in a world where ditching negative thoughts can feel as challenging as ditching your phone for a day (gasp!), we need some serious ways to fight back.

Decoding the Thought Distortions

First, let's call out negative thought patterns for what they are: cognitive distortions. 

These are basically thinking traps that make us see things more negatively than they are in reality. Here are some examples:

• Catastrophizing is when you take a minor mishap and turn it into a full-blown disaster. For example, you spill your coffee and decide your whole day is ruined.
  

• Black-and-White thinking makes you believe something can only be positive or negative. You're either perfect or a complete mess, with no in-between.
  

• Disqualifying the positive occurs when you get a compliment, but your brain instantly dismisses it. "My colleagues don’t really think I did a good job—they’re probably just saying that  to be nice," you tell yourself.
  

• Mind reading is all about you assuming you know what other people are thinking, and it's never anything good. They probably hate your outfit, think you're awkward, and secretly judge your every move. (Spoiler alert: They probably don't.)
  

• Overgeneralization is the unhealthy art of projecting one bad incident onto your entire life. A common scenario? Getting a bad grade and suddenly thinking you're a "total failure" who will "never succeed at anything." 

According to Professor Fred Luskin of Stanford University, we have over 60,000 thoughts a day, with 90% being repetitive thoughts. Of those, 75% are negative thoughts. This explains why cognitive distortions take over our minds and make it more complicated than ever to break free from stress and anxiety. 

When we become entangled in our thoughts—endlessly dissecting and analyzing them —we often find ourselves lost in a labyrinth of overthinking. This only leads to confusion and misery, amplifying the power of those negative thoughts.

So how do we break free from this struggle? One practical framework is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). ACT encourages us to accept our thoughts and feelings without judgment rather than fighting them. It's about recognizing that thoughts are just thoughts, not facts, and focusing instead on thoughts that align with our values.

Instead of getting caught up in an internal battle, ACT helps us to observe our thoughts with detachment. For example, instead of saying, "I'm not good enough!" you can reframe that talk track as, "I'm having the thought that I'm not good enough." That simple shift in language creates distance between your true self and the negative thought, reducing its power.

If a thought persists, let it be. Acknowledge its presence without judgment and gently redirect your attention to the present moment. You can start by telling your brain, "Thank you for that thought, but it's not helpful. Now, please go back to what you were doing."

We all mess up, have insecurities, and get caught in negative thought spirals. But by learning to challenge those cognitive distortions and accept negative thoughts without judgment, you can stay positive, embrace your awesome self, and rock the real world.

Along the Same Lines…

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Mona & The Sol TV Team ❤️

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