Freedom From Negative Thinking? A July 4th Special

Five Steps for Declaring Independence from Negative Thinking

By Dr. Stephen Kraus, Success Scientist


It’s the 4th of July weekend, and no doubt many of our readers in
the U.S. are celebrating Independence Day. In that spirit,
today’s article is about science-based techniques for declaring
independence from negative thinking.


We all have negative thoughts from time to time. But some of the
most destructive negative thoughts we have jump into our minds so
quickly and reflexively that we barely notice them, even though
we definitely feel the negative emotions they trigger. Aaron
Beck, the founder of cognitive therapy, described these with the
term “automatic negative thoughts.” Others call them "inner
critics" or "gremlins," but the label doesn’t really matter. What
matters is preventing these Automatic Negative Thoughts - or
ANTs - from spinning into unproductive cycles of negative
thoughts and emotions.


STEP ONE: IDENTIFY YOUR ANTs & TRIGGERS

Different people have different Automatic Negative Thoughts. So
the process of overcoming negativity requires some introspection
and begins with identifying your unique ANTs. ANTs are
generally triggered by specific situations, so identify
situations that upset you, and try to pinpoint your immediate
reaction. For example:

- In response to a professional setback, some will
automatically think: “I’m a loser.”
- After a romantic disappointment, others instantly
assume: “I’m unworthy.”
- After a failed attempt to make life changes, some
will say “I fail at everything” or “I’ll never be
able to get thin/stop smoking/start my business, etc."

After identifying your habitual negative thoughts, and the
situations that trigger them, then recognize the negative effects
your ANTs have. Most people find that their negative thoughts
trigger broader patterns of negative emotions, counter-productive
behaviors, and additional negative thoughts.


STEP TWO: FOCUS ON “MANAGING” YOUR ANTs, NOT ELIMINATING THEM

Automatic Negative Thoughts are automatic largely because they
have recurred many times over many years. Indeed, they often got
their start with intense emotional experiences from childhood or
adolescence. So don’t expect them to disappear overnight.

Of course, it would be great to eliminate negative thoughts
completely, but for most people, that’s an unrealistic
expectation. Indeed, anyone who promises to eliminate
negativity forever is probably selling self-help snake
oil. However, it is certainly possible to manage your ANTs, and
although they might still occur from time to time, the research
is very clear that you can learn to prevent ANTs from spinning
into downward spirals of negative thoughts and emotions.

Certainly there is some value in reviewing the past to understand
how your ANTs got started. But the key to managing ANTs is to
recognize that they now have a life of their own, and the path to
resolving them lies primarily in the here and now.

We’ve all seen movies or TV shows in which someone suddenly
figures out the origin of a specific negative thought or
psychological problem, and then has an immediate and dramatic
recovery. That’s certainly convenient for a TV show that needs
to have everything neatly wrapped up by the end of the hour, but
that’s not really how the mind works. There are some effective
ANT-management techniques that we can use, but they will require
some effort and practice.


STEP THREE: OBSERVE YOUR ANT OBJECTIVELY

This step begins with an insight from Buddhism: the inner
monologue that has been cycling through your head since you
learned to talk is not “you.” In a sense, “you” are the listener
rather than the voice itself.

As the listener, you can shape the nature of that internal
monologue, and choose to listen to a more positive voice. Most
importantly, you can learn to prevent that little voice – those
isolated thoughts – from spinning into full-blown cycles of
negative emotion and counter-productive actions.

When an ANT occurs, try to observe it objectively. Just because
you have "heard it," doesn't mean that you have to believe it, or
give into it. Recognize that this thought occurred to you, and
let it go. Ride out the thought like a surfer riding a wave. If
this technique appeals to you, you may want to explore meditation
in more detail, as many meditative techniques are focused on this
type of "impartial observation" of thoughts.


STEP FOUR: JUST STOP IT

Try carrying a 3x5 card with the word "STOP" written on it. When
your ANT pops into your head, pull the card out and spend some
time looking at it. Another alternative – wear a rubber band
around your wrist, and snap it when your ANT occurs.

This technique may seem simplistic and “self-helpy.” Certainly
it is no magic bullet to eliminating your ANTs forever. But it
will help you become more aware of your ANTs, the situations
that trigger them, and most importantly, your ability to
consciously prevent your ANTs from spinning out of control. And
it is good preparation for our fifth and final step...


STEP FIVE: LEARN TO ARGUE WITH YOURSELF

The final step in our process of ANT-management requires going on
the counter-attack. Fight back against the negative thoughts by
asking yourself a series of questions that will reveal the ANTs
as false and counter-productive. Try asking yourself these seven
kinds of questions:

- Evidence: What is the objective evidence for this ANT?

- Exaggeration: Is this ANT an exaggeration? Am I over-reacting?
Am I over-generalizing?

- Alternatives: What are some other possible explanations?

- Flexibility: Can I evaluate this situation in more
flexible terms? Am I thinking in overly rigid, black-
or-white, all-or-none terms?

- Utility: Is this belief empowering or counter-productive?

- Comparison: How have others fared in similar situations?

- Role reversal: How would I evaluate other people who
performed as I did?


FOR EXAMPLE…

Suppose you don’t complete a certain project on time, and as a
result, you find that you are calling yourself a loser. Try
challenging this ANT by asking yourself questions like:

- Does not finishing my project on time really
indicate that I am a loser? Haven’t I completed
lots of other projects on time? (Evidence)

- Isn’t “loser” a little strong? (Exaggeration)

- Is it possible that I didn’t finish my project
on time because I didn’t have the resources I
needed? (Alternatives)

- Just because I may have room to improve my project
management skills, does that really mean I’m a
loser? (Flexibility)

- Does it really benefit me to think of myself as a
loser just because I was late with one project? (Utility)

- Did everyone else finish their projects on time? (Comparison)

- Would I consider everyone who didn’t finish their
projects on time a loser? (Role reversal)

At first, this process of "arguing with yourself" will
probably seem 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. In fact, this technique is the basis for
cognitive-behavioral therapy, pioneered by Dr. Aaron Beck, and
rational-emotive behavior therapy, pioneered by Dr. Albert
Ellis. Both types of therapy have repeatedly proven effective
in treating depression and managing negative thoughts.



Dr. Stephen Kraus is one of the world's foremost success scientists. Author of Psychological Foundations of Success: A Harvard-Trained Scientist Separates the Science of Success from Self-Help Snake Oil, Steve has a Ph.D. in social psychology from Harvard University. Steve can be reached at his web site: www.RealScienceOfSuccess.com