Habitual Negative Thoughts & How to Break Them
When you think of your daily habits, you might think of your morning routine to get ready for the day, or the things you do before going to bed. Maybe you always stop for coffee on the way to work on Monday mornings, or you have a favorite snack to put in your lunch every day.
However, habits can be more than just behaviors – they can be thoughts, too. These bad thought-habits manifest themselves in the exact same way habits that are behaviors do – they happen immediately without you even thinking about it. Do you look in the mirror and instantly look for imperfections? Or when you mess up, you immediately judge yourself? Do you jump to worst-case-scenario conclusions after hearing one piece of bad news? Sometimes, these thoughts happen so fast that we don’t even have time to question them. The good news is that we can practice questioning these negative thoughts in order to poke holes in this bad logic we feed ourselves. Since what we think dictates how we feel, it’s important to make sure our thoughts make us feel good – the more often you’re harsh on yourself, the more likely you’ll feel down. But Lauren, how do I just not think negatively and not judge myself?
This is where Socratic Questions come in! Socratic Questions are questions you can ask yourself to really dive into and examine a thought. Using these questions can really help you step back from your thoughts and gain some clarity despite your zooming mind. This method is even used by licensed therapists to help their patients! Some examples of Socratic Questions include:
Am I making any assumptions?
What is the evidence for this thought? What is the evidence against it?
Am I basing this thought on facts, or feelings?
Is my thought a likely scenario, or the worst case scenario?
Will this matter in a year, even if the worst outcome comes true? How about five years?
What would you say to a friend who felt the same way?
Could my thought be an exaggeration of what is true?
Have you ever been in a similar situation before? How did that turn out?
These questions can help us gain a new perspective, and consider all sides of a situation. By recognizing the imperfections in our thoughts, we can change them! Whenever you notice yourself jumping to conclusions, try to ask yourself these questions and take a moment to reconsider. Whenever you notice yourself harshly judging your appearance, find something you love about your appearance instead. Or when you find yourself focusing on the negative aspect of a situation, do your best to acknowledge the positive, too. I challenge you to use Socratic Questions to invalidate some of your thoughts in this way over the next few days, and watch how your mindset shifts.
Written by guest blogger Lauren Sadowski
Hi everyone! My name is Lauren Sadowski. I graduated from Grand Valley State University with a bachelor’s in psychology, and moved out to Denver, Colorado with my boyfriend directly after. I work as a case manager at a nonprofit, but when i’m not working, you can find me cozied up with my puppy, practicing yoga, or exploring my new city. I’m super passionate about mental health and viewing life like a glass half full. I can’t wait to take on this journey through life together!
You can follow Lauren @its_gonna_be_okayy on IG
