Dealing with Automatic Negative Thoughts aka ANTs
Introduction
Automatic negative thoughts, or ANTs, are the thoughts that we have without realizing it. They are usually negative, repetitive, and often irrational. Also, they can be very harmful to us as they tend to lead us to depression and anxiety problems.
What are ANTS?
The term ANTs stands for Automatic Negative Thoughts. These thoughts are automatic because they pop into our heads in an unconscious way, and we don’t even realize we’re thinking them. These thoughts are about ourselves (e.g., “I’m a loser”) or other people (“She’s so annoying”), but they can also be about the world (“Life is unfair”).
ANTs aren’t necessarily true, logical, or helpful at all! They might be exaggerations or distortions of situations that have happened to you in the past; they might be something you’ve always believed about yourself without realizing it; and/or they could even be completely made up on the spot by your brain!
The key thing with ANTs is that they’re automatic — you probably didn’t choose to think of them in the first place — and because of this, there’s no way for us to control what pops into our heads when we’re awake.
How to deal with ANTS?
- Be aware of your mood and what is triggering negative thoughts.
- Don’t be too hard on yourself and accept that negative thoughts are a normal part of our minds.
- Don’t ignore them or avoid thinking about them, as this will make them linger longer than necessary, but instead, observe their patterns and try to understand where they come from in your life (for example, if you had an argument with someone).
- Write down the ANTS in a journal if this helps you get things into perspective; it may also help you identify different types of ANTs!
Try to spot the ANTS whenever they happen and replace them with positive thoughts.
- Replace the negative thought with a positive affirmation. If you’re thinking, “I’m such an idiot,” and you know that isn’t true, try replacing the negative thought with something more accurate, like “I’m doing my best,” or “I’ll learn from this.”
- Practice mindfulness and gratitude. Even if you’re having a hard time realizing it, there are many things in your life for which to be grateful. Try writing down three things each day that make you feel good — it can be anything from your favorite meal to seeing a nice sunset to getting through a tough workout without injury. It’s also helpful to practice mindfulness by bringing awareness to what’s happening in the present moment: when walking outside on a beautiful day, notice how warm the sun feels on your skin; when having dinner with friends at home, appreciate how safe and cozy it feels in their kitchen; when working out at the gym after work every evening before calling it quits for another day at work…
Try to find the real source of the thoughts.
- Find the source. For example, if you’re worried about your weight and feel like a failure every time you eat something, try to find the original reason behind that thought. If it’s something your parents used to say, or if it’s a belief that was reinforced by other people in your life growing up, try to replace those old thoughts with new ones.
- Change the focus of your attention. Mental health isn’t just about having positive thoughts; it’s also about paying attention to what goes on around you rather than letting negative thoughts dominate your mind all day long. Try focusing on relaxing activities or things that make you happy — it will help keep those negative thoughts at bay!
Conclusion
Ninety percent of negative thoughts are automatic, and we don’t even realize it. We often believe our thoughts are true and act accordingly, but the reality is that most of our thoughts are distorted or exaggerated. When we can see through these automatic negative thoughts, we can start to make progress on changing them into positive ones.
Takeaway:
Do you know how many times a day you have an automatic negative thought? Ninety percent! If you want to change your life for good, then learn how to stop believing in those thoughts so they don’t control your actions anymore.
