1. Recognize cognitive distortions.
Do you have a tendency to think in extremes? Perhaps your friends didn't reply to you immediately and you assumed it meant they don't wanna be friends with you anymore, or maybe someone made a comment about you and you took it to mean that they hate you. This is a type of cognitive distortion known as black and white thinking, and it can greatly harm your mental health. Remember, your mind is so powerful that it can convince you of something that isn't necessarily accurate, which can reinforce negative thinking. This is why it's important to make an effort to be aware of such thoughts and distortions, so you can start to challenge these thoughts.
2. Building distress tolerance.
How do you respond to stress? Distress tolerance is a person's ability to manage their internal emotional state and respond to self-inducing factors, which can include negative thoughts. This requires the ability to take a step back, pause for a few moments or a few days, to recenter yourself, and then take action. Keeping calm in the face of stress doesn't signify nonchalance towards the problem or that you are suppressing your feelings, but instead it allows you to feel in control of your emotion and behavior. Instead of letting your emotions control you. Some way to help you build distress tolerance is to be aware of what stress feels like in your body. This may be labored breathing, the tension in your neck or back, sweating, or clenched fists. These symptoms are normally felt before action is taking place, in between the stimulus, what is happening and the response, and how you act, You should take a moment to regain control of your body and thoughts, and later make a decision on how to move forward. After all, you have the power to decide if you wanna act on your temporary emotions and feelings, or if you wanna act based on healthy logic, your values, and what's in your long-term best interest.
3. Changing the perception of the problem or reframing.
Linda and Charlie Bloom MSW suggested that another great way to overcome negative thoughts is by reframing the problem from one that is negative to one more hopeful. One way of reframing is by redefining a problem as a challenge, for example, instead of feeling defeated or powerless because you have to give up your dream school due to financial problems, you can try to apply for a scholarship. Look for financial help from appropriate institutions or perhaps work part-time while studying.
Reframing problems gives you power because you are owning your problem instead of letting the problem own you. Are you suffering from stress or anxiety? Are you having trouble sleeping or having a hard time hitting REM sleep? We want to thank Endel for sponsoring this video. Endel is backed by neuroscience technology and the most unique part about it is it morphs music to the time of day, weather, heart rate, and location. It'll calm your mind to create feelings of comfort and safety wherever you go and play gentle sounds so that you can hit that deep sleep you so desperately need. The first 100 people to download Endel will get a free week of audio experience. So check out the description box for this exclusive offer.
4. Self-soothing coping skills.
Another way you can overcome negative thoughts is by applying self-soothing coping skills. These skills are the first aid for stressful thoughts. Examples of skills are A, and affirmations. These are short and powerful words you can tell yourself to assist you in having positive thoughts. For instance, I may not be in control of this situation, but I have control over myself and that is enough. B, deep breathing. Have you noticed that when you get upset, your breathing automatically becomes more rapid and shallow? Deep breathing can help counter this and make you feel more relaxed. C, replace thoughts with cognitive abilities. If you feel that your thoughts overwhelm you, try to put them aside for a little while and distract yourself with other cognitive-based abilities, such as learning a new task, doing crossword puzzles, or Sudoku and D, replacing thoughts with grounding physical activities. According to psychosomatic literature by Wong, triggering thoughts that activate the fight or flight response can be reduced through positive physical touch and pressure. Some examples you can try include counting your breath, bringing attention to both of your feet, and noticing how they feel on the ground. Placing a hand on your heart or touching something soft, like your pet's fur or a fuzzy blanket.
5. Release judgment.
Do you have some brutal opinions about yourself? Sometimes, no matter how successful or happy you seem external, you may still hold on to destructive and judgmental thoughts about yourself. You might compare yourself to your ideal version of yourself or to other people and feel like you fall short. Because of this, it's important to learn to let go of such judgment, even if it's hard to do, it's definitely possible with some practice. And in time, you may find yourself more at peace with yourself.
6. Express your thoughts and feelings in a journal or with people whom you trust.
Can you talk about your feelings or do you tend to bottle them up? When you start to constantly ruminate over your negative thoughts, it can start to negatively impact your day-to-day life. For this reason, it's important to find healthy ways to express your thoughts and feelings. Perhaps you can find a close friend or loved one to talk about it, or you can write them down in a journal. If you're not too fond of writing, you can also try out many different kinds of journaling such as visceral journals, where you create sketches and drawings, or you can record or dictate your thoughts to a phone recorder.
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