5 Types of Negative Thoughts and How to Stop Them

Negative thoughts have a sneaky way of entering our mind, especially when we’re under pressure , facing something we’re afraid of or when we’re tired.

On top of that, strong emotions and negative influences around us can have a way of derailing us.

Sometimes, the pressures of life - for example, parenting or trying to maintain work-life balance - can cause us to think negatively, particularly if we’re facing a specific challenge. For instance, we can start thinking we’re a terrible parent or we’re failing at our job.

Some of us just tend to worry more about things, so we're more prone to these types of thoughts.

Realistically, though, they affect everyone from time to time and anyone can find themselves thinking in these ways.

Not all negative thoughts are always bad. Sometimes they’re a warning of something or they alert us to pay more attention to something.

It’s the niggly persistent ones that are the real pain.

We don’t have to be at their mercy, though. We don’t have to let them control us. There are lots of things we can do to switch our attention away from them.

Just knowing that we can control our thoughts, tame them or eliminate them is half the battle.

It takes practice to notice them and them reframe them or think differently.

Sometimes changing activity, moving, taking a break or going outside can help.

Other times, facing or tackling something that’s bothering us can help, rather than pushing it away and ignoring it.

Often, it can be super helpful just to ask yourself, ‘Is this true?’

Self-care is as much about mind management and mental hygiene as it is about taking care of ourselves physically. We’re not necessarily taught these skills as we’re growing up so they can feel harder to implement.

Awareness, intentionality, action and repetition are key when it comes to changing our thoughts to be more positive.

One way to recognize when our internal chatter is turning negative and stop it snowballing is to learn how to identify the most common culprits.

Black-and-White Thinking

Using ‘all’ or ‘nothing’ statements is a sign you’re falling into a negative mindset, e.g. ‘I always…’, ‘I never…’. When this happens, remind yourself the world doesn’t really work that way.

It’s far more accurate to think of there being lots of different shades of grey.

Tunnel Vision

When you only see the bad in everything, you can begin to feel lost in a tunnel of negativity. You start to seek out proof by pointing out every flaw or failure in everyone and everything.

Defeat this by rewording the statements as they come up. Look for the positive spin you can put on things.

The Disaster Plan

This is when you catastrophize and only see the negative outcome in a situation. To counteract this, accept that sometimes, failure happens.

You can even use dire predictions to work out a ‘plan B’ in case you need one, but also remind yourself there’s always a chance of success in what you try. There’s no reason to assume the worst.

Ask yourself ‘What’s the best that could happen?’ instead of assuming the worst.

Mind Reading

With this, you assume you know what someone else is thinking, and it’s never good.

To combat it? Try having an honest conversation with the person instead. Let them speak for themselves and they might surprise you.

Or think of a variety of different reasons they could be behaving as they are.

Stop assuming the worst.

The Guilty Conscience

You messed up. Once. A long time ago. It’s time to let it go. For some people, their brains are expert at bringing up the past, regardless of how much time has passed or what has been done to correct the mistake.

Here you need to remind yourself of the lessons you’ve learned.

Remember, the past is in the past. Don’t relive it in the here and now.

Look forward, seeing the possibilities. Let go of the rest.

Conclusion

When we get caught up in inner negative talk, we can quickly forget the wonderful aspects of life.

By noticing and stopping the negative chatter early on, we give ourselves the opportunity to reframe how we see an event or situation. We can start to see the possibilities of better outcomes.

Embracing positivity expands our range of options and gives us a happier outlook on life.

Photo by Reed Naliboff on Unsplash