S3 E2 | Negative Thinking

Welcome to Season 3 Episode 2 of the Emergent Experience Podcast

Synopsis:
In this episode we discuss:
What is negative thinking?
Negative thinking is the inability to see positive results or positive spin on thoughts, events, anything in that matter. The individual will view the most negative or worse outcome in any situation
How does negative thinking differ from being realistic?
Being realistic allows a person to analyze all possible outcomes and see the most likelihood of an option whereas a negative thinker will only see the most negative grotesque outcome.
Don’t confuse constructive criticism with negativity.
How to deal with the Debbie Downers in your life
What to do if you are the Debbie Downer?
Seek therapy.
Practicing gratitude.

Psychology Today:

1. Negative Rumination
Rumination is a kind of negative thinking in which we get mentally stuck and keep spinning our wheels without making progress. Rumination can make you more and more anxious as you keep thinking of more and more negative outcomes that could possibly happen. If you feel lonely, you may think about being lonely forever, never meeting the right partner, never having kids, losing all your friends, and ending up alone in a ditch. Ruminating can also make you feel depressed. You may focus on how bad you feel, why you feel so bad, what you did wrong to get in this situation…………

What to Do Instead: Pay attention to when your thinking starts to get repetitive or negative. When you notice rumination, make yourself break the cycle. Get up and do something else:Go for a walk or reach out to a friend (but don’t continue the rumination out loud by whining to them). Try to change your thinking to a problem-solving focus that is more deliberate and strategic.

2. Overthinking
Overthinking is when you go over and over different choices in your mind, trying to imagine every possible outcome and everything that could happen in the future, to make sure you make the perfect choice. Your focus is on avoiding mistakes and risk. The problem with overthinking is that it’s an attempt to control what isn’t controllable.

What to Do Instead: Limit the time you spend thinking about a decision before acting. Give yourself a deadline to decide, even if it feels uncomfortable. Only allow yourself to research a few alternative options — not every one. Don’t be so hard on yourself: You are only human, and it’s not the end of the world if you make a mistake. You can learn from it. Overthinking results from anxiety, so practice stress-management techniques like yoga, running, nature walking, or meditating.

3. Cynical Hostility
Cynical hostility is a way of thinking and reacting that is characterized by angry mistrust of other people. You see other people as threats. They may cheat you, take advantage, let you down, deceive you, or otherwise cause you harm. Cynical hostility involves interpreting other people’s behavior in the worst ways.

What to Do Instead: Try to get some distance from your judging thoughts. Notice when you begin to think distrustfully, and deliberately think of alternative ways of seeing the situation. What are some more benevolent or less toxic motives for people’s behavior? Learn to reserve judgment and look for the evidence before labeling people. Notice how your own behavior may be pushing people away or prompting them to react negatively to you.


Related links:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-mindful-self-express/201708/3-negative-thinking-patterns-avoid-what-do-instead

Additional Resources:

Negative Thinking: How to Transform Negative Thoughts and Self Talk into Positive Thinking:
https://www.amazon.com/Negative-Thinking-Transform-Thoughts-Positive/dp/1492782637

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Monique: www.moniquelscott.com
Satoya: www.satoyafoster.com
www.practicingredemption.com

Quote:
“Some people grumble that roses have thorns; I am grateful that thorns have roses.” -Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr