The impact of negative thoughts and negative thinking on our lives is far more harmful than we knew. Discover where negative thoughts and negative thinking comes from and what you can do to stop your mind from racing endlessly into sickness.
2. What is a Negative Thought?
Any thought associated with
un-constructive or unpleasant
emotional states (such as anger,
anxiety, depression, pessimism, etc.)
How do negative thoughts
feel in the body?
3. Characteristics
Automatic - they just pop into your
head without any effort on your part.
Distorted - stem from perception.
Obstructive - they stop you from
getting what you want out of life.
Plausible - you accept them as facts,
and it does not occur to you to
question them.
4. Categories of Negative Thoughts
Assuming
Over Generalizing
Should’s
Labeling
It's all or nothing!
Believing what you feel
5. Examples of Negative Thoughts
I’m not good enough…
There must be something wrong with
me…
I wish I were a better person…
I’m a failure, I’m worthless…
I’m so disappointed in myself…
6. Where Do They Come From?
They often arise when we are living with:
stress and anxiety
Depression
low self-esteem
self-hate
8. Inner Critic VS Inner Ally
The inner-critic is the voice in your head,
which constantly evaluate everything that
you do while at the same time reminding
you of your faults, failings and weaknesses.
Whether this is a silent monolog or one you
hear in your own voice, the voice of your
parents, teachers and friends or even as a
simple mental image, it has the power to
wipe out your self-esteem.
9. Inner-Critic Inner-Ally
Focus on a tiny part of an experience
which is negative, use that as the
memory
Focus on overall experience,
evaluate, find the good
Focus on what you did wrong
Focus on lessons learned,
achievements
Perfect memory of negative
experiences
Terrible memory of positive
experiences
Picks up sayings and ideas from the
outside, never evaluates, and repeats
Evaluates everything, allows the
positive through and ignores most else
no faith, no goals, sets up for failure Faith, trust in self, goals, looks ahead
Feeds you weakness Feeds you strength
Makes you think everyone is criticizing
you and evaluating you constantly
Knows everyone is too busy listening to
their inner-critic to focus on your faults
10. Banishing Negative Thoughts
Decide - to feel good, no secondary gains
The Whole Picture - See things as they are
Focus - Every dark cloud has a
silver lining
Self Talk - change what you
say to yourself
11. A Wise Quote
“Life is not about waiting for the
storms to pass…it’s about learning
how to dance in the rain.”
~ Anonymous
12. 5 Ways to Cut Down NT
1. First you have to perceive it.
Listen to your inner voice (self-talk).
If it’s negative:
Recognize it.
Acknowledge it.
Turn it around.
13. 5 Ways to Cut Down NT
2. Replace the negative voice with
a positive one.
Instead of “that jerk cut in
front of me, what an idiot!”
replace it with: “He must
really be in a hurry, maybe
there is some personal
emergency, I’m glad I
saw him and my reflexes
are good.”
14. 5 Ways to Cut Down NT
3. Remove non-positive words or phrases
from your vocabulary, such as “I
can’t,” or “I hate,” or “I’m pissed off”.
Remember the old saying,
“if you can’t say something
nice, don’t say anything
at all”
15. 5 Ways to Cut Down NT
4. Reward yourself!
When you do something positive,
reflect on the positive ways it
made a difference.
Give Yourself permission to
feel good about your actions.
16. 5 Ways to Cut Down NT
5. Have someone to talk to who can
uplift your spirit and inspire you.
Choose your
company wisely.
Yes, a support structure
is very important.
17. Other Self-Help Techniques
Hypnotherapy – Use self-hypnosis
recordings
Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT)
Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP)
18. USEFUL BOOKS TO READ
Overcoming Low Self-Esteem : A Self-Help Guide using
Cognitive-BehaviouralTechniques by Melanie Fennell (Constable
& Robinson, 1999)
Creating Self-Esteem : A Practical Guide to Realizing Your
True Worth by Lynda Field (Vermilion, 2001)
The Achilles Syndrome : Overcoming the Secret Fear of
Failure by Petruska Clarkson (Element Books Ltd., 1994)
There Is Nothing Wrong With You : Going Beyond Self-Hate
by Cheri Huber (Keep It Simple Books, 2001)
Feel The Fear and Do It Anyway : How to Turn Your Fear
and Indecision into confidence and Action By Susan Jeffers
(Rider and Co., 1997)