Five Steps to Overcome Negative Thinking

WE ALL HAVE NEGATIVE THOUGHTS OR UNHELPFUL THINKING FROM TIME TO TIME, BUT AS VERONICA LETTS SHOWS WE CAN STOP THEM FROM DEVELOPING INTO A REPETITIVE CYCLE OF NETAGITVE THINKING.

The most destructive thoughts tend to jump into our heads so rapidly that we barely notice they are there before it is too late, even though we experience the emotion that they trigger. The founder of cognitive therapy, Aaron Beck, described these thoughts with the term "automatic negative thoughts." Others call them their "inner critics" or "unhelpful thinking". It doesn't really matter what we call them, what matters is how to acknowledge these Automatic Negative Thoughts - or ANTs - and prevent them from turning into repetitive cycles of negative thoughts and emotions.

Step 1: Identify your ANTs what triggers them
Everyone has different Automatic Negative Thoughts and they are generally triggered by specific situations. So it is important to try and pinpoint the situations that disturb you, and try to identify your immediate response. For example: After a failed attempt to lose weight, some will say "I fail at everything" or "I'll never be able to lose weight"
After you identify your habitual negative thoughts and the situations that trigger them it is vital that you recognise the effects your ANTs are having.

Step 2: Manage your Negative Thoughts
People often find that their negative thoughts result in counter-productive behaviours and negative emotions. The reason we refer to these thoughts as automatic is because they are largely borne from years and years of doing the same thing recurrently. This unhelpful thinking is normally the result of an intense emotional experience from the past. For example, you have tried all the different weight loss program, all the diets and you are still overweight. So don't expect them to vanish overnight.
It would be great to remove our negative thoughts completely, but that's an unrealistic expectation. However, it is possible to manage our negative thoughts.
The key to managing your ANTs is to recognize firstly that what you think is going to have a large impact on the result you achieve and that your negative thoughts have a life of their own. There are some effective ANT management techniques that you can use to achieve the desired outcome, but I will warn you, they require discipline, unremitting patience and practice.

Step 3: Observing your ANTs
Understand that your "inner critic" or negative thoughts are not "you". In a sense, "you" are the listener rather than the voice itself. As the listener, you have the ability to shape the nature of the "inner critic", and choose to listen to a more positive voice. When a negative thought or thoughts occur, observe it objectively. Just because you hear it, doesn't mean that you have to believe it. Trust the power of the mind, recognise that the thought occurred and allow the thought to float right out of you.

Step 4: Create an anchor
When a negative thought pops into your head, pull a small card out (about the size of a business card) with the word "STOP" or wear a rubber band around your wrist, and snap it when your ANTs occur. Another alternative is to think of your ANTs as a coin. On one side of the coin is the negative thought and on the other the positive thought. Flip the coin inside your head and focus on the positive thought. These techniques may seem simplistic but the idea is to make you more aware of your ANTs and the situations that trigger them.

Step 5: Learn to argue with yourself
The final step in ANT-management requires you to fight back against the negative thoughts. The idea is to ask yourself a series of questions to reveal the ANTs as false and counter-productive. Try asking yourself if you have objective evidence for the negative thought. Is it real? Is the negative thought just an exaggeration or over-generalisation? Initially, this technique might feel forced and artificial, but research has shown that, with practice, this technique can be an effective technique for managing the negative thoughts and emotions that undermine confidence.

Veronica Letts is a qualified personal trainer and group fitness instructor with more than 20 years experience in health, fitness and the wellness industry. Veronica specialises in wellness coaching and helping women to learn the fundamentals they need to know to achieve a healthy mind and body. She established Oxygen Life Coaching in 2009 with a focus on providing life coaching for women. For more information visit www.oxygenlifecoaching.com.au.