Resource: Overcoming Negative Thoughts

What is everything worked out exactly the way you wanted it? What if all the fears you had about trying that new thing, starting a business, attending a class or accomplishing a goal were completely gone. What if you had the power to envision that the outcome you hoped for, that the chances of achieving it were attainable. This can become possible when we are made aware of the negativity biases that we hold, and its impact on creating limiting beliefs about our potential and what we're capable of. 

A negativity bias is the scientific concept that the human brain is hard-wired to focus on negative thoughts, comments, information and even events versus positive ones. It's a reflex conditioning that occurs naturally in our brains that sway us to focus more on the negative information before us rather than positive ones. That even while positive events and experiences may be actually and factually occurring, unless we're made aware of it, our mind's are likely to bypass them - reducing the feeling or impact of these occurrences on our lives.

So how did this all become to be? Why would our brains default to a negative response or even thinking to begin with? Well, our predisposition to ruminate on the negative is believed to have originated from an evolutionary response to survive. That, a negativity bias is believed to have helped humans survive and escape from threats in their environment. But, as our societies have evolved, this survival mechanism may have begun to cause a bit more harm than good, trapping us in a negativity spiral that makes it hard to escape from. In present-day, research has shown that such constant negative thoughts can lead to depression and anxiety, potentially impacting the way we show up in the world, interactions in our relationships, and our ability to overcome life's challenges. 

So how do we overcome our natural tendency to focus on the negative? We can do this by developing greater self-awareness, practicing mindfulness and/meditation, and even checking in with ourselves throughout the day. Developing these habits can all help counteract our natural reflexes and allow for breakthroughs in our lives. 

To dive a bit deeper into developing such a mindfulness practice, Psychology Today created a worksheet that allows you to develop positive "What if" scenarios to any situation in life you're currently encountering or one that may be coming up. The worksheet divides your thoughts into two columns, the negative "What if" column and the positive "What if" column. You're first asked to pick any situation, event or scenario that you find you're experiencing an overwhelming amount of negative thoughts or emotions towards. Once chosen, write down the worst case scenario a.k.a the negative ones you're thinking and/or experiencing, and then follow that up by writing down the best case scenario, the most positive thoughts or occurrences that could arise from the event. As you write down examples of both, hopefully you begin to develop a picture in your mind on what a positive outcome of this particular situation could be, and begin to focus your thoughts on that. This exercise can help to foster greater self-awareness, even exposing how much of our thoughts about a particular situation is in fact negative. It can even help to boost our confidence about encountering an event or taking on a new task, knowing that there is a chance that the situation can end up beautifully, surpassing our wildest expectations. 

Many world religions empathize the important of positive self talk, or taking it a step further, positive thinking in our lives. Meditation, a form of a mindfulness practice works to counteract negative thoughts through various methods such as focusing on a object, sound or voice, or even quieting the mind by simply tuning in to the environment around you. So does prayer, a spiritual practice intended to help you connect to a higher power. Identifying the source of these thoughts -- our brains, by engaging in a regular meditation practice can further help with counteracting the negativity-bias on a regular basis. 

So, next time you're feeling anxious about an upcoming event, try this worksheet to help you map out various "what if" scenarios and what could possibly go right if you were to follow through. Also, don't be so hard on yourself if you find you can't escape these thoughts, know that to a certain extent, it's part of the human experience. However, if you find that you need further help to counteract these thoughts, do contact a licensed mental health professional like a therapist or counsellor for more support.