The Art of Peace: How To Let go Of Negative and Limiting Thoughts
How can we let go of negative and limiting thoughts that can send us into a dark spiral?
A simple practice that works really well for me is taking note whenever I start to have negative/limiting thoughts. First, I tell myself "STOP". This simple pause is more powerful than you may think - it immediately breaks up your thoughts and gives you a moment to redirect. Then, depending on the situation, I will:
→ Redirect myself to focus on what's in front of me at the moment (i.e. task at hand, actively listening to someone talking to me, etc.)
→ Think about what I can be proud of myself for (i.e. focus on what you have done, what you have learned, how you have grown, etc.)
→ Think about something I can appreciate or be grateful for (e.g. something someone put time/effort into doing for you, things you Do have, etc.)
To do this, you need to recognize any negative thought patterns and cognitive distortions you have. Write out your negative thoughts. This can be uncomfortable but will help you see the patterns and cognitive distortions.
From the book Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy by Dr. David Burns, an award winning psychiatrist, common thought patterns and cognitive distortions that can get us into a negative spiral include:
All or Nothing Thinking – Seeing everything as a strict success or failure. For example, stating that you will never overcome your anxiety after one coping technique didn’t work.
Discounting the Positive – Disregarding/undermining positive experiences in order to justify harmful patterns.
Emotional Reasoning – Coming to far-fetched or untrue conclusions based purely on emotion.
Jumping to Conclusions – Making assumptions about what will happen or what others will think based on minimal or no evidence. This is exemplified when you practice going through entire conversations with someone in your head.
Do you recognize any of these patterns and cognitive distortions in your thoughts? Try the “STOP” method and let me know in the comments below how it works for you!
-Vx
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Letting Go of Negative and Limiting Thoughts
