How to Escape the Suffocating Cycle of Negative Thought Patterns
The (Negative) Spin Cycle
Most of us have experienced “feeling stuck” at some moment. The trajectory of life seems to halt dead in its tracks, meanwhile we feel like we’re floundering in cycles of depression, anxiety, addictive behaviors or other unhelpful coping mechanisms. And what is often our first line of action when we feel stuck? Beating ourselves up…at least, mentally. Negative self-talk and obsessive worry feed the anxiety monster and the cycle seems endless. No wonder we feel stuck! One thing goes awry, we blame ourselves, we worry we can’t handle the countless other terrible things that may occur, and we wreck havoc on our mental health, physical health, and emotional well-being. Then…more things go awry.
“You have everything you need to get out of the mental trap and start to heal."
Here’s some beautiful news, though. You have everything you need to get out of the mental trap and start to heal. Turning the negative cycle off is a matter of stopping yourself in your tracks, readjusting to sound truth, and speaking kindness to yourself. Here are some good ways to switch off that spin cycle and start moving on.
Recognize what you’re doing. Those of us who naturally go to the worst case scenario or blame ourselves for everything that goes wrong in life, tend to do so without even thinking about it. It can become second nature to think negatively. If you find yourself in a negative pattern of thinking or self-talk, the first step out is to realize you’re doing it.
Call it what it is! Then, change the narrative. Tell yourself that you are absolutely capable of handling this hard thing, and that you will absolutely make the good decisions needed to resolve the situation. You may even tell yourself that you’re changing, “I know I usually catastrophize when something like this happens, but I’m a new person now. I’m going to take this one step at a time, handle what I can today, and reward myself for facing it. I am absolutely capable.” Stay present, stay in the moment, and tell yourself that things will get better.
Swallow some truth. Did you know that 79% of the time, the things we worry about never happen? And when they do happen, most people look back and realize they handled the crisis better than they expected, and even walked away with a good lesson learned for their future? That is a far more cheerful outlook than the one a constant worrier paints. When you start to get in an anxiety trap, call truth to mind. We cannot imagine what is in store for our futures…the good and the bad…but there is always far more support, help, kindness, and healing in store than we could ever imagine. Walk in that truth.
Be your own BFF. Would you ever talk to your closest friend (or even acquaintance!) the way you talk to yourself when things fall apart? No. We advise our loved ones to be kind to themselves, take care of themselves, and take heart. Recognize your own wisdom and take advantage of all the good things you have to say. You already know how to be kind to yourself, even if you don’t often practice it.
Write down past experiences. If you find it hard to remember how well things have worked out before, or how well you’ve handled difficulties of the past, write them down. Keep a record of how your life has played out, all the ways you’ve sought healing (even if that’s a new experience for you), and for all the things you’ve been grateful for along the journey. Ask a loved one to help you remember events and circumstances if you feel mentally blocked.
It takes work, but by recognizing our negative thought patterns, speaking kindly to ourselves, and trusting in our ability to heal, we can break free from the mental traps that hold us back.
Put It Into Practice
Just because you’re thinking it, doesn’t mean it’s real.____
We live in a society that tells us to “follow our hearts” but the truth is, our hearts can often lead us down a path of difficulty or needless fretting. Even if it’s a daily practice for you, remind yourself that just because it feels like you’ll never get out of a situation, never feel capable of change, or never move forward…feelings are not fact. Hold on to what you know for sure.
You can heal
Your desire to change is what will cause you to change
You may not know how things will go, but you also can’t imagine all the good things that will come out of your life.
Find a friend or family member who helps you see things positively and tell them about your journey out of the mental trap. Ask them to support you along the path.
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Sources for the Content in This Article:
Getting Out of Thinking Traps via Mental Health America