How Negative Thoughts Impact Us

Have you ever had a situation where you thought you did something wrong or embarrassing? Chances are pretty good that you have. Chances are also good that you had some negative thoughts about it. Whether it’s calling ourselves stupid, worrying what others may be thinking, or another distressing thought, it’s common to respond to stress with negativity. While it makes sense, it doesn’t tend to be helpful. Speaking to ourselves negatively can not only make us feel bad, but actually may us more likely to make the same mistake in the future.

Negativity Cycles

We all have something called a negativity bias. Basically, something negative stands out more than something positive. It’s easier to remember and easier to repeat in the future. So if we’re consistently responding to stress by telling ourselves how bad we are, it starts to build a pattern. This pattern then starts to repeat itself outside of situations where it’s appropriate, we start to feel we’re bad in a lot of different situations. This creates more opportunities for the negative thought to arise. As it’s repeated more in more situations it makes the situations feel more stressful which results in more negativity and more stress.

How Negativity Affects Us

When we talk to ourselves negatively it’s usually coming from a good place. “I’m so dumb” usually means I want to do better or avoid a mistake in the future. However, the way we phrase these thoughts does not help to accomplish these goals. It usually has the opposite effect. We feel demotivated and incapable instead of uplifted and ready to make positive change.

When you notice negative thoughts acknowledge what they are trying to help you accomplish and practice reframing them so the thought is more likely to lead to the change you are seeking. This can be hard to do and takes a lot of practice. If you would like help on these skills you can schedule a consultation at burnoutpreventiontherapy.com.