What exactly is a negative thought? Suppose your boss or a shop assistant suddenly gave you a mean or irritated look. How would you react? Would you be able to let it slide off you, like water off a duck? Or would you feel bad about yourself, get angry about it or feel anxious and/ or annoyed about the situation? If you turn small things into big things that bother you for days, weeks, or even longer, you're having negative thoughts.
Negative thoughts can make you feel sad and anxious. They take the joy out of life-and they can take a toll on, not just our mental wellbeing, but physical health as well. That's why it's so important to learn how to deal with them.
But, trying to suppress negative thoughts rarely works. As Andrew Huberman puts it, it's like trying catch fog with fog.
Trying to suppress negative thoughts rarely works. It's like trying catch fog with fog - Andrew Huberman
So, how can we deal with negative thoughts?
One great advice Dr. Andrew Huberman and Joseph Murphy outlined in their literature is this concept of not trying to suppress negative thoughts, because it is a lot of work and most of the times it doesn't work. Instead, "we should introduce a positive thought in the background whilst having the negative thought".
Introduce a positive thought in the background whilst having the negative thought
Following is a working template of 10 most common negative thoughts and what those negative thoughts can be replaced with.
We all have negative thoughts from time to time. However, when the majority of your thoughts are negative, we are undermining our happiness at the end of the day. Our thoughts directly affect how we feel and, therefore, what we do in life.
Don’t limit yourself or what is possible for you. Master your thoughts and change your results.
Credit: Dr. Daniel Amen | Dr. Andrew Huberman | The Power of your Subconscious Mind by Joseph Murphy | Kirstin O'Donovan
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