How Negative Thinking IS Compromising Your Health
We have to plant our feet and get a grip. The Coronavirus has taken a hold of us for sure, and appears to be changing the trajectory of where each of us will go next. Not being able to fly home, sports seasons ending, offices being closed, schools, stores…the list goes on and on. And people are surely in a panic. Not only are they panicked but many are consumed with so much negative thinking, that they can barely see straight.
This is the 2nd of my 5-part blog series: COVID-19, Keep Calm & Carry On.
A series of blogs that will help overcome stress and anxiety, promote productivity (in home-office), mindfulness, self-care and social distancing.
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Panic, while reasonable in times like these, is not helpful.
What we really need during a crisis of this sort, is a place to stand that can keep us healthy: mind, body and spirit. While knowledge is power, and easy to get every time you turn on the tv, some things are not as easy to access but even more important. The most powerful thing to access right now is a way to overcome these negative thought patterns.
“This is going to be so so bad. This is getting worse by the minute. We are all going to be quarantined. How will the kids graduate? So many people are going to die! There won’t be enough room in the hospitals for all the people that are going to get sick!”
But have you noticed that not everyone is buying as much toilet paper as possible?
Don’t get me wrong, I am a fan of TP of overload, even on our best economic days, but the fact is that we all process and react to information differently.
We don’t see things as they are. We see things as WE are.
What we do know is that we view the world through our mental attitude. Yet all ‘attitudes’ are not alike. Being consumed with negative thoughts can actually impact everything, including your health, career, family and more! Not only that, but it can have a spiraling effect that attracts even more negative thinking.
During any crisis, we need to pause, take a breath and turn off the news for just a few minutes. These constant negative external and internal cues are making the panic even worse. The only thing worse than Pandemic, is panic.
Your negative thinking is literally making you sick. Are you ready to turn this negative thinking around?
You can slowly train yourself how to think by implementing simple techniques.
Slowly train yourself how to think by implementing simple techniques:
1. Have daily negative thought time.
Yes, you heard right! You are going to allow yourself the time to vent by committing to 10 minutes a day to ruminate about whatever negativity is on your mind. It must be 10 minutes. And it must be every day. If you have a negative thought later in the day, have a journal handy and jot it down. After a few days of this activity your brain will begin to understand that anything on this list will be given its’ time during the next negative thought time period.
2. Reframe the Negative Thoughts
We will never eliminate negative thinking because it is a normal thought process. Yet what we can do is simply replace it with more mindful and productive thoughts. When it begins to occur, pause.
a. Notice what triggered this pattern of thinking.
b. Acknowledge that this is exactly what you want to change.
c. Say aloud what you want to be thinking about instead.
d. Flip the commentary and find something positive to focus on.
3. Be Good to Yourself
a. Let it out. Yep, out! Give yourself 3 minutes and then end the pity party.
b. Jot it down. Notice what triggers you into this negative thinking and jot it down in a journal or notebook. Awareness will become your new trigger into positive thoughts.
c. Reframe it. Once you hear it, shift your head to the side and put your thoughts into a new frame. What would you say to your best friend?
4. More Doing, Less Thinking
Research shows that when we can write out our thoughts, we are more inclined to let it go. In addition, just seeing the words on a page makes it easier to digest and move forward.
5. Make a Gratitude List
Every morning, while you are sipping on your morning coffee or tea, find the things you are grateful for. It’s a game changer. Remember that your mind is in charge. So give it some direction!
6. Create a Few Reflective Questions
a. How do I feel in this negative commentary?
b. What do I lose by being consumed with these thoughts?
c. How could I benefit from changing this commentary?
7. Eliminate Negative Influences
Stop watching the morning news. Research has shown that just 3 minutes of negative news in the morning will significantly increase your chances of negative feelings all day long.
8. Develop a Morning Ritual
One of the easiest and most effective ways to stop the noise, is to create a ritual you can stick to every morning when you first open your eyes. I recommend starting with something simple like changing the alarm sound on your iPhone. Instead of the standard beeping sound, set it to play a song that you love, one that sends a positive message, offers hope, makes you smile. Then commit to listening to the whole song before even getting up, filling your head with positive thoughts.
9. Turn negative thinking into Constructive Thoughts
Have a prepared positive thought process ready to go when the negative thinking takes over. Maybe there is an event coming up that you are excited about. Maybe just the simple thought of your dog giving you unconditional love. Or maybe the thought of spending time with your children. Then any time a negative thought comes up, notice it, and commit to switching your thoughts to something that makes you smile.
10. Commit to Exercise and Meditation
If you already have both of these in your life, perfect. If you don’t, let’s design that starting today. Perhaps you can’t be in the gym every time your brain switches to negative thinking, but taking a mindful minute can be done anywhere and a quick walk around the block can change everything.
Mindset is a choice, so let’s start choosing something that we can happily spread around. Especially when times get tough.