meetingkvm.blogg.se

(We already know that expressive writing can improve mood disorders and help reduce symptoms among cancer patients, among other health benefits.) Writing about oneself and personal experiences - and then rewriting your story - can lead to behavioral changes and improve happiness. The bottom line: Negative thinking happens to all of us, but if we recognize it and challenge that thinking, we are taking a big step toward a happier life.

“How might I view this situation if it happened to someone else?”.

“How might other people view the situation differently?.

“Could I be misinterpreting the situation?”.

“Am I basing this on facts? Or feelings?”.

Then ask yourself: “What is the evidence for this thought?”.

I can learn from it and be better.”) Here are some examples of questions you can ask yourself to challenge negative thinking.įirst, write down your negative thought, such as “I’m having problems at work and am questioning my abilities.” This is just one setback that doesn’t reflect on me. The goal is to get you from a negative mindset (“I’m a failure.”) to a more positive one (“I’ve had a lot of success in my career. Studies show that this method can reduce depression symptoms. Socratic questioning is the process of challenging and changing irrational thoughts. Now try to apply that advice to you.Ĭhallenge your negative thoughts. When you are feeling negative about yourself, ask yourself what advice would you give a friend who was down on herself. “I’m worrying about money.” “I’m obsessing about problems at work.” When you are in a negative cycle, acknowledge it. Telling yourself “I have to stop thinking about this,” only makes you think about it more.

Here’s how:ĭon’t try to stop negative thoughts. It’s an evolutionary adaptation - over-learning from the dangerous or hurtful situations we encounter through life (bullying, trauma, betrayal) helps us avoid them in the future and react quickly in a crisis.īut that means you have to work a little harder to train your brain to conquer negative thoughts.

All humans have a tendency to be a bit more like Eeyore than Tigger, to ruminate more on bad experiences than positive ones.