This post is by Monica Velici of Sparta Health
Negative thoughts are perceptions about the world, others, and self, characterised by negative cognitions (views), attributions, and expectations. Negative thoughts are associated with negative emotions, poor health, and physiological, and behavioural outcomes (behavioural outcomes refer to the pre-specified goals or conditions that reflect the effect of one or more interventions on human subjects' biomedical or behavioural status or quality of life) (Hawkley, Thisted, Masi, & Cacioppo, 2010).
There are many reasons why people think negatively. Some examples include low self-esteem, low self-confidence, and low self-worth. Individuals who tend to display more negative thinking tend to be more self-critical and self-blaming. According to the book chapter, Changing Negative-Thinking Patterns (Hughes et al., 2019), negative thinking comes in all forms and flavours, but frequently follow a series of patterns.
- Individuals tend to display all-or-nothing thinking, such as “if I don’t get an A+ in my essay, I’m useless”. This is where people fail to see anything other than a polarised view; individuals either chose to do something right or not at all – they do not leave space for a grey areas in between, for example “if I don’t get an A+ in my essay, my average mark will still not be affected”
- People show tendencies towards overgeneralising, “I’m always useless”, thinking that “nothing goes right”; they might blow things out of proportion or catastrophise, such as “if I do not have a relationship by the time I’m 30, I will always be alone”
- Jumping to wrong conclusions by using misguided or skewed thinking is another pattern. Most individuals will always be sure that they know what others are thinking about them and instantly assume it is bad; i.e. “they do not like me” or by thinking they can predict the future, “I won’t get an A+ in my essay, because the topics will be very unfair”. This pattern might be the result of our emotional reasoning misdirecting our thinking, for example if we feel something, we believe it to be true: “I am single because nobody loves me” or “I feel sad, therefore I am not a good company”.
- The last negative thinking pattern comprises of misplaced self-blame, other-blame or misappropriation of responsibility, such as “the company lost the client because, even though I was about to close the deal, I was away for the sales plan which lost it”
There are other negative thinking patterns which complete or even feed the above list. Everyone who is experiencing negative thoughts is aware when these are happening. The challenge is that we do not always know what to do when such thoughts come into our minds. Hughes et al., (2019) drafted a list with top tips of what to do and how to avoid negative thinking.
- Body language – breathe in confidently, smile genuinely, hold you head high, and yourself tall and firm
- Distraction with action – negative thinking can be changed if you change your situation, such as read a book, listen to music, write a letter, go for a walk, have a bath, etc.
- Change the situation – if others around you fuel your negativity, get out of that environment and consider whether returning would be beneficial to you
- Reality check – always take a reality check of any situation that prompts negative thinking; consider the real facts, look for the evidence, and leave the fears behind
- Guided meditation – psychological and emotional guided meditation to calm your breathing, relax your body, mind, and soul, and de-stress your muscles
- Find your relation sensation – according to what best suits you; for example, a walk in the park or around your building, a candle-lit bath, cooking a meal, playing a game or videogame, reading a book, knitting, listening to music, etc.
- Semantics – everyone who shows negative thinking, should at least try to change the wording of their negative thoughts, such as “the interview I had with the hiring manager was the worst I’ve ever had” could be rephrased as “there were some challenging questions in the interview, but I know what I said wrong, and I will do better in my next interview”
- Stay mindful – a lot of negative thinking is based on the past, on what happened and how it happened, or is based on the future. These associations with the past and future events is something we cannot change or control, therefore, stay in the present moment “here and now” and ignore the past events and do not overjudge or worry about the future events
- Health and fitness – a healthy body stems from a healthy mind and vice versa, requiring the individual to exercise how and when is appropriate for them, making sure they get enough sleep and rest, and eat a balanced healthy diet.
- Write on – if negative thinking occurs often, write down your negative thoughts (as in why and when you experience them and what is their purpose) then dispose of it – it psychologically mimics the action of “throwing away” your negativity
About Monica Velici
Monica joined Sparta Health in February 2020 as part of the rehabilitation service support team. She has a degree in Psychology, an MSc in Clinical Neurodevelopmental Sciences, and a keen interest in dementia and mental health. Monica aims to become a fully accredited therapist.
References
Hawkley, L. C., Thisted, R. A., Masi, C. M., & Cacioppo, J. T. (2010). Loneliness predicts increased blood pressure: Five-year cross lagged analyses in middle-aged and older adults. Psychology and aging. 25 (1). 132 -141. doi:10.1037/a0017805
Hughes R., Kinder A., Cooper C.L. (2019) Changing Negative-Thinking Patterns. In: The Wellbeing Workout. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham