5 techniques to deactivate automatic negative thoughts

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And you… What do you do with your negative thoughts? We all have them, but something decisive is knowing how to relate to those debilitating images that erode our potential and well-being. We give you a series of strategies to manage them.

Stop for a moment, stop what you are doing and take a look at the keyhole of your mental universe. What thoughts live inside you right now? Are they friendly? Do they have the smell of hope, positivity and calm? Or what you perceive is perhaps a certain chaos, disorder and an atmosphere of unbreathable negativity?

We all produce a significant number of automatic thoughts of negative valence every day. The fact that this happens is within normality. After all, no one is immune to insecurity, fear, uncertainty or anguish. The key that makes the difference is the way we relate to that type of mental activity.

There are those who deactivate them almost instantly thanks to a more rational approach. The one who, when faced with ideas like “I’m never going to find a job again,” responds with something like “I’ve been through situations like this before and I’ve gotten out of them successfully.” Each of us should have some strategy in our psychological pocket to effectively manage these types of mental dynamics.

They are images, ideas and states that do not contribute at all to our well-being. Quite the contrary. So… What if instead of learning a technique we integrate five resources to live better? Take note.

“The work of thought is like drilling a well: the water is cloudy at first, but then it becomes clear.”

-Chinese proverb-

If we let negative thoughts gain power over our mind, we can lead to depression.

How to deactivate automatic negative thoughts

Where do negative thoughts come from and why are they automatic? This is a very recurring question. A study by Soflau & David, 2017, focuses on one aspect. From a clinical point of view we always see this type of adverse reasoning, images and ideas as the foundations that, little by little, build depressive and anxiety disorders.

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However, it is important to understand its origin, its triggers. According to these authors, Automatic thoughts derive from our beliefs and conceptions about ourselves and the world. They are cognitions that are rooted in our consciousness and that emerge in the form of inferences, descriptions and evaluations without us realizing it.

It should be noted that it is not easy to regulate or take control over these mental processes. It requires time, commitment and a series of basic tools with which to achieve this goal. Therefore, this series of strategies will be of great help to us.

Our negative thoughts cannot be erased or eliminated, they must be reframed by healthier approaches.

1. Cognitive restructuring

Cognitive restructuring is a process widely used in therapy that consists of the identification and confrontation of negative and irrational thoughts. As Dr. Debra A. Hope, from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, explains in a paper, the steps required in this model are the following:

We must identify our automatic negative cognitions. Become aware of the cognitive distortion that reinforces it. That is, many of our thoughts are dominated by “all or nothing” mechanisms, catastrophizing, overgeneralization, etc. The next step is to confront these thoughts. Do they really help me, are they useful to me? The last phase is to give way to healthier reasoning by refuting those automatic negative thoughts.

2. Ant technique

There is a very effective strategy that requires a small visualization exercise. We must see our dysfunctional thoughts as ants, like small insects that move aimlessly and fill every recess of our mind.. The objective is to eliminate them from our interior to recover harmony. How?

Detect your automatic negative thoughts. What is their trigger? Where do those “ants” come from? How do those elements affect you? How do you feel when these thoughts take over? The third stage of the ant technique is to shape a more adaptive mental approach. How should I reframe those ideas to make myself feel better?

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3. Negative thoughts and emotions recording sheet

The most decisive step to deactivate our automatic negative thoughts is become aware of their existence and how they impact us. Many times, we let ourselves be carried away by the inertia of those mental forces that condition everything from our emotions to our behaviors and decisions.

Therefore, a simple strategy is to have our own journal in which to record this series of dimensions:

Debilitating reasoning. Catastrophic ideas. Negative evaluations. Irrational thoughts. Negative images that come to mind.

Likewise, in this diary It is important that you describe how those mental processes make you feel. Talk about your emotions and associated feelings.

If we do not stop the cycle of irrational and debilitating thoughts, we can lead to more than one mental health problem. Furthermore, we will weaken our human potential and become captives of helplessness.

4. The technique of challenging questions

Have you heard of the Socratic dialogue? It consists of a conversation between two or more people that encourages reflection, confrontation and the ability to mobilize new approaches to the problems that plague us. It is a very enriching resource that we can transfer to our mental universe. How?

When a negative thought appears in your mind, confront him with challenging questions:

What good is this idea, image, sensation or reasoning for me? Is it useful? Where does this thought come from? Should I listen to it? If I do, what can happen? What would happen if I thought just the opposite?

Keeping a record of our thoughts can allow us to become aware of these more irrational approaches.

5. Replacing Debilitating Thoughts with Healthy Approaches Worksheet

Improving the atmosphere of our mental universe requires daily work. This involves looking for the strategy that best suits us, and those that require paper and pencil are simple and practical. One of them is to use worksheets divided into two columns:

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Thoughts that weaken me. Healthy reformulation.

The goal when deactivating automatic negative thoughts is to replace them with more adaptive and healthy approaches. Something like this requires applying a more flexible, innovative and positive outlook.

Invest in quality of life

It is important to take into account one detail. It is very easy to be captive of that psychological filter that is trapped by negativity. We do it because of deep-rooted beliefs, education received, personality patterns or poor coping strategies. In these cases the result is always the same: we lose our health, well-being and our potential.

Taking care of everything that happens inside us is investing in quality of life. Let us remember that negative thoughts cannot be eliminated from our minds, what we can do is reformulate them and lower their volume. How about we start putting it into practice today?