How to Think Your Way Out of a Negative Thought

The human mind can become more blinkered in times of emotional turmoil.

The reasons for negative thoughts aren’t always logical, but challenging the stimuli with the following probing questions can help you reappraise the situation and distance yourself from the negative thoughts.

• What am I concerned about?
• Is this thought mine or someone else’s that I’ve picked up on?
• Do I believe this thought?
• Is this thought accurate?
• Is this thought realistic?
• Are the barriers and threats really insurmountable?
• What’s the worst that can happen?
• Am I too harsh on myself?
• What can I learn about this thought?
• What belief is attached to this thought?
• How can I reframe this thought to be more realistic and pragmatic?
• How can I cheer myself up as I would a friend?
• What’s an affirming baby step that I can take now to pick myself up and rectify this situation?

Idea for Impact: How you think about a condition influences how you feel about it. Often a thought-out, levelheaded analysis of the situation can unshackle the mind’s echo chamber and nudge you to think your way out of a problem and look beyond it.