The Power of Positive Thinking—Identifying negative thinking
By Trish Ostroski
It would be helpful to identify negative forms of thinking to reduce and eliminate these. Some common forms of negative self-talk include: Filtering, Personalizing, Catastrophizing and Polarizing. Let’s take a look at each of these.
§ Filtering. You magnify the negative aspects of a situation and filter out all of the positive ones. For example, say you had a great day at work. You completed your tasks ahead of time and were complimented for doing a great job. But you forgot one minor detail. That night, you focus only on your oversight and forget about the compliments you received.
§ Personalizing. When something bad occurs, you automatically place blame on yourself. For example, you hear that an outing with friends is canceled, and you assume that the change in plans is because no one wanted to be with you
§ Catastrophizing. You automatically anticipate the worst. You refuse to go out to an event or new situation for fear that you’ll make a fool of yourself. Or one change in your daily routine leads you to think the entire day will be a disaster.
§ Polarizing. You see things only as either good or bad, black or white. There is no middle ground. You feel that you have to be perfect or that you’re a total failure.
Focusing on positive thinking
Because your self-talk is mainly negative doesn’t mean you’re doomed to an unhappy or unhealthy life. You can learn to turn negative thinking into positive thinking. The process is simple, but it takes time and practice since you’re creating a new habit, after all. Here are some ways to think and behave in a more positive way:
§ Check yourself. Periodically during the day, stop and evaluate what you’re thinking. If you find that your thoughts are mainly negative, try to find a way to put a positive spin on them.
§ Be open to humor. Give yourself permission to smile or laugh, especially during difficult times. Seek humor in everyday happenings. When you can laugh at life, you feel less stressed. Laughter can be a powerful medicine.
§ Follow a healthy lifestyle. Exercise at least three times a week to positively affect mood and reduce stress. Follow a healthy diet to fuel your mind and body. Learn to manage stress.
§ Surround yourself with positive people. Make sure those in your life are positive, supportive people you can depend on to give helpful advice and feedback. Negative people, those who believe they have no power over their lives, may increase your stress level and may make you doubt your ability to manage stress in healthy ways.
§ Practice positive self-talk. Adhere to one simple rule: Don’t say anything to yourself that you wouldn’t say to anyone else. Be gentle and encouraging with yourself. If a negative thought enters your mind, evaluate it rationally and respond with affirmations of what is good about yourself.
Trish Ostroski is a Certified Hypnotherapist and Certified in Therapeutic Guided Imagery. I work with clients near and far on the phone and in person on a variety of issues. I can prepare and provide tapes especially for you to place your mind in a positive environment. I can provide wonderful and relaxing sessions as well both in person and over the phone. We team together to “wake up your life”. She has helped many clients to live healthier and happier lives by providing life changing positive scripts. Make a change for the better. .Contact Trish and Wake Up Your Life.
“Sleep with me and wake up your life”
www.hypnosis.edu/hypnotherapists/trish-ostroski
www.rainbowhypno.com 818-795-8829
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