Our mind is a melting pot of different kinds of thoughts. Joy ones, excited ones, worry ones, hopeful ones, and, yes, negative ones. It is important to be aware of your own negative thoughts because denying they exist doesn't make them go away - and in some circumstances doing just that only makes them grow stronger. And, at the same time, you want to be strategic about how you address them because if you give them too much attention they can grow and get stronger. Countering your negative thoughts with positive ones can be a useful strategy - whether you do this in your head or write it down in a journal. Also, work on trying to remove the judgment that you may be placing on top of the negative thought. We all have negative thoughts so to shame yourself or be self-deprecating because you have negative thoughts only makes things worse.

LESSONS: Negative thoughts can arise in anyone at any given time. Being aware of your own negative thoughts can serve you when trying to implement strategies that decrease the thoughts. Try to identify your most prominent negative thoughts and counter them with positive thoughts, reality testing, or hopeful mantras. Remove judgment that you place on top of the negative thought and have compassion for yourself.

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CREDITS:

Production Team: Heather Knox, Knox Creative; Marion Abrams, Madmotion, llc. Host: Dr. Lara Pence Synopsis: Dr. Lara Pence

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