Do you ever have one negative thought, and it snowballs into a downward spiral of fear, anxiety, and dread?
If you’re like most people, you struggle to stop it because negative thoughts, feelings and behaviors tend to reinforce one another.
Here’s a 3-part skill you can use:
1. Catch it. Catch the negative thought. Work on being aware of what you are thinking and when you have a negative thought.
Check it. Prompt yourself with 3 questions:
· What is the worst-case scenario?
· What is the best-case scenario?
· What is the most likely scenario based on my past experiences?
3. Change it. – At this point you need to try substituting more realistic thoughts. If your automatic thoughts tend to be depressive or anxious, you need to think of different – but realistic – ways of thinking about the situation.
Remember, this is a very difficult process. Overcoming negative thoughts is a huge challenge and even though these Cognitive Behavioral Therapy steps are an effective approach, they are a very simple first step. If you continue to struggle with thoughts you can’t control, I suggest talking things over with a therapist.
