unhelpful thinking styles are patterns of thoughts that often involve some kind of distortion from reality-because they are automatic and usually negative, most people-in fact, even the most mentally healthy among us-experience these unhelpful thinking styles from time to time. For most of us, these unhelpful thinking generally develop into terrible geometric distortions Causing respective emotional distress. When left unchecked, however, they can greatly influence mental health and daily functioning. Well, one good piece of news is that one can be taught to identify and deal with these thought patterns toward the building of a more positive mindset. Here’s how:
1.Identify Unhelpful Thinking Styles
Identifying unhelpful thinking is the first step toward overcoming it. Some examples of cognitive distortions include:
- All-or-nothing thinking: Viewing situations as black or white; when I don’t succeed completely, I’ll consider myself a total failure.
- Overgeneralization: Taking one event and sweeping down a conclusion from it.
- Catastrophizing: Automatically jumping to the worst possible conclusion.
- Mental filtering: Just concentrating on the negative elements of a situation and ignoring the positive ones.
- Emotional reasoning: Mistaking feelings for facts, such as, “I feel worthless, therefore I must be worthless.”
- Should statements: Wordlessly telling yourself or others how things should be, leading to feelings of condemnation or frustration.
2.Challenge Your Thoughts
After identifying a cognitive distortion, challenge it. Ask yourself:
• What evidence supports this thought? What evidence contradicts it?
• Am I jumping to conclusions or assuming something is true without proof?
• Is there another way to look at this situation?
• What would I say to a friend who had this thought?
3.Practice Mindfulness
Mindfulness is observing your thoughts without judgment. In other words, instead of meditating upon something negative, you label it unhelpful and let it go out of your mind. Some techniques like deep breathing, meditation, and grounding also help one to stay present and lose intrusive thoughts as much as possible.
4. Reframe Your Negative Thoughts
Reframing is practically replacing one negative statement with a positive and more balanced one. For example:
- “I’ll never get this right,” goes to “I’m learning, and it’s OK to make mistakes.”
- “Nobody cares about me,” turns to “I’m feeling alone right now, but that does not mean I’m not loved.”
5. Problem-Solving
Sometimes thoughts of this nature arise out of a real challenge. So instead of endlessly ruminating, concentrate your efforts on what you can do to address the situation using measurable steps. Constantly divide the problem into smaller tasks to accomplish in succession.
6. Ask for Social Support
Talking with a trusted friend, family member, or therapist about some of the more negative aspects of your life helps keep your thoughts in perspective. Sometimes outside people with a healthy view have more clarity or insight about certain situations, or time to encourage you out of your distorted thoughts.
7. Self-Compassion
Be gentle with yourself about your unhelpful thoughts. Construct an internal dialogue that says all of us go through times of negative thinking and that it’s OK to be less than perfect. Give yourself all the understanding and patience that you would a dear friend.
8. Keep a Thought Diary
Writing out your thoughts will allow you to see patterns and make necessary changes. Include:
- The trigger for the thought.
- The thought and what emotion accompanied it.
- The evidence that supports the thought as well as the evidence that contradicts the thought.
- A reasonable alternative way of looking at the situation.
9. Cultivate Gratitude
Being grateful helps you respond to situations better: instead of worrying about things, worry less about what things are going right. Write down things for which you are grateful on a regular basis, no matter how trivial they might seem.
10. Consider Professional Help if Needed
When maladaptive patterns of thought persistently disrupt life, a mental health professional may be a good option. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) might be one of the more effective treatments for cognitive distortions and the establishment of healthier ones.
Final thought
The unhelpful thinking styles may seem overbearing, but they do not have to control your life. By working to recognize these patterns, challenge them, and replace them with healthy alternatives, you can forge a more positive and resilient mindset. Remember that change is a process taking time and practice, and have patience with yourself while working on your mental health.