Combat Negative Thinking
In the midst of the Covid-19 crisis, feeling concerned is very normal. You may be worried about your health or the health of your loved ones. You may feel upset about your economic well-being. There’s no doubt that these are very legitimate concerns during these uncertain times.
But what if you can’t ever shut those feelings of concern off? What if you find yourself constantly playing out the worst case scenario in your head? What if your brain seems stuck in a feedback loop of fatalistic thinking, catastrophizing, or hypochondria?
The fact is, persistent negative thinking is exhausting and even paralyzing. And unfortunately, simply telling yourself to “stop being so negative” doesn’t stop the downward, self-feeding spiral of worry and anxiety.
So how do you stop the cycle of persistent negative thinking overwhelming you and undermining your mental and even your physical health? Here are eight techniques that can help you combat negative thinking.
Acknowledge your feelings as you would acknowledge grief
Some experts have likened the Covid-19 crisis to a period of mourning. Rather than fighting the negative feelings this crisis has caused—sadness, worry, or anger, for example—acknowledge that those feelings are natural. That acknowledgement can, hopefully, allow you to more easily move beyond them into a more comfortable state of acceptance.
Meditative breathing
“Take a deep breath.” It sounds like a cliché but in fact, meditative breathing really does work to calm the mind. If you find yourself caught in a cycle of negative thinking, try taking a few minutes of quiet to focus on breathing deeply, slowly, and repetitively.
Recognize what you can control (and what you can’t)
Many times, cycles of negative thoughts can be driven by feelings of lack of control and powerlessness. Taking action on those things you CAN control—even small things like daily chores—can help rebuild a sense of positivity.
Disconnect from the news cycle and social media
One of the best things you can do to combat negative thinking is to turn off the news and stop checking social media. All the sad and scary stories are actually intended to reinforce worse-case scenario thinking and rarely reinforce positive trends or good news. So for the sake of your mental health, turn off your news feed and focus instead on your favorite “non-reality” TV show.
Focus on the positive
Take a few minutes every day to remember the positive things in your life. It’s easy to dwell on the negative—what we don’t have, what we can’t do—but there are a lot of positives as well. With practice, you may find it becomes easier to see the positive side of the current situation.
Practice physical self-care
Maintaining your physical health is critical to maintaining your mental health, so be sure you are taking care of yourself. Avoid staying in your pajamas all day. Establish a daily routine, including exercise. Be sure to eat right, drink lots of water, and get lots of sleep. It’s easier to feel positive when you feel healthy.
Get outside
It is a scientific fact that exposure to sunlight has a direct impact on our physical and mental wellness. If you are able to do so, take time every day to go outside and spend time in the sun (wearing sunscreen and a face mask when necessary). If you can’t go outside, do as much as you can to bring natural light into your home.
Seek professional help
If you are struggling with persistent cycles of negative thinking, it’s ok to seek out help from a counselor or therapist, even if you have to do so by phone or via a conference call. If you are finding it difficult to cope with the Covid-19 crisis on your own, don’t wait to seek out help. Therapy can help you develop and practice these and other techniques to manage cycles of negative thinking and restore your mental well-being.
NEED HELP?
Collaborative Therapeutic Services (CTS) wants to help. We offer a variety of counselling and therapy services, hours, and service providers with diverse specializations. We offer evening & weekend appointments. Have questions? Contact Us Here or Call 813-951-7346. Located in Tampa, Florida.
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