How to Change These 10 Common Negative Thinking Patterns
Negative thinking traps can be insidious — creeping into your mind and weighing you down with self-doubt and cynicism.
Your Lizard Brain — the reactive part of your brain that snarls when you’re stressed and sabotages your confidence and motivation — is on the rampage when your negative thinking takes over.
Does your mind constantly replay past mistakes, while catastrophizing about the future? If so — you’re not alone.
Negative thinking patterns are all too common, and they can wreak havoc on your mental health and wellbeing.
But there is hope — with awareness and practice, you can quiet your Lizard Brain and overcome these patterns and cultivate a more positive and empowering mindset.
You can control your negative thinking, rather than your negative thinking controlling you.
Which of these Negative Thinking traps do you fall into?
- Black and white thinking: “I’ll never be able to run a marathon. I’m just not athletic enough.”
- Mind reading: “I can tell my coworkers don’t like me. They always leave me out of conversations.”
- Crystal-ball gazing: “I’m not even going to apply for that promotion. There’s no way I’ll get it.”
- Over-generalization: “I’m always going to be bad at math. I’ve never been good at it.”
- Disqualifying the positive: “Sure, I got a promotion, but it was probably just because nobody else wanted the job.”
- Over-reacting: “My boss gave me a suggestion for improvement. That means I’m terrible at my job.”
- Unrealistic expectations: “I need to be the perfect parent. Any mistake I make will ruin my child’s life.”
- Name calling: “I can’t believe I forgot my coworker’s name. I’m so stupid.”
- Self-blame: “My friend canceled our plans. It’s probably because I’m boring.”
- Catastrophizing: “If I don’t get this job, I’ll never find another one and I’ll be homeless.”
Negative thinking patterns and a fixed mindset often go hand in hand — trapping you in a cycle of self-doubt and limiting beliefs.
Your Lizard Brain is hungry, scared, selfish and horny — it’s the animal instinct part of your brain.
And it can mess-up your thinking quickly.
When you believe that your abilities are fixed and unchangeable, you’re more likely to give up when faced with obstacles, and succumb to the negative thoughts that tell you that you’re not good enough.
But what if you shifted your perspective, and embraced a growth mindset?
What if you recognize that your abilities can grow and develop through hard work and perseverance?
Now your Lizard Brain is already shrinking and losing its power over your thinking.
By cultivating a growth mindset and focusing on positive thinking, you can break free from the limitations of negative thinking and unleash your full potential.
Quiet your Lizard Brain!
It’s time you take that first step towards a brighter, more fulfilling future.
Carlos has a fixed mindset — plagued with Negative Thinking — and Suzann has a growth mindset. And you can tell the difference just by listening to them talk.
Fixed mindset thinking is a limiting belief system that can prevent you from reaching your full potential.
Carlos is imprisoned by his limited beliefs —
“I’m just not good at that” — holds Carlos back from trying new things or developing new skills because he believes that he’s not naturally talented in that area.
“I’ve always done it this way” — prevents Carlos from adapting to change or trying new approaches because he’s comfortable with his current methods.
“I’m not smart enough” — Carlos has low confidence in his abilities which prevents him from pursuing education or career opportunities that require more advanced skills or knowledge.
“I don’t have enough experience” — Carlos shies away from new challenges or opportunities because he feels he lacks the necessary experience.
“I’m not a creative person” — limits Carlos’ ability to come up with innovative solutions or ideas because he believes creativity is a fixed trait rather than a skill that he can develop.
“I can’t do it” — Locked in to this fixed belief prevents Carlos from even attempting a task or pursuing a goal because he believes it’s too difficult or impossible.
“I’m a failure” — Carlos is giving up on his dreams after experiencing setbacks or failures, rather than using them as learning opportunities and continuing to grow.
Suzann thinks much differently —
“I can learn anything if I put in the effort” — Suzann’s thinking emphasizes the importance of effort and hard work in achieving goals and developing new skills.
“Mistakes are opportunities for learning” — Suzann views mistakes as an inevitable part of the learning process — encouraging you to reflect on your mistakes and use them as learning opportunities.
“I’m not there yet, but I’m making progress” — Focusing on progress and improvement — rather than perfection — recognizes that growth takes time and effort.
“I can improve with practice and perseverance” — emphasizes the importance of persistence and dedication in achieving goals and developing new skills.
“I can learn from others and seek feedback” — values the input of others and recognizes that there’s always something new to learn.
“Challenges are opportunities for growth” — Suzann views challenges as an opportunity to stretch and grow, rather than a roadblock to success.
“I believe in my ability to improve” — fosters self-confidence and encourages you to take risks and pursue their goals.
Growth mindset thinking is a belief system that emphasizes the potential for growth and improvement through dedication and hard work.
Do you connect more with Carlos or Suzann?
Don’t let your negative thinking hold you back any longer.
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