“I have failed in the past, but these failures don't define me. It is an opinion that you are (or are not) a failure. It is a fact that you have failed in the past. But do these handful of failures define you as a person? Does a previous failure make someone a complete failure? When you look at world leaders, top athletes, and successful entrepreneurs, don’t you also see a history of failures and setbacks? Maybe this ANT is based on your personal history. Let’s say you keep telling yourself, “I’m a failure.” How can we break this down and replace it with something positive? The next time this ANT pops into your head, you can “answer it” with something positive and productive. Then, find a way to reframe them or replace them with something positive. A mean comment that one person told you.īreak these ANTs down. Maybe they are a reflection of one failure that you experienced in the past. They are poor predictions of the future or a rather harsh opinion of yourself. Are these ANTs facts? Most likely, they’re not. Once you have a grasp on when you experience automatic negative thoughts, take a look at them. Accept that you have ANTs, and that certain situations make them appear in your mind. Don’t ignore ANTs that pop up for seemingly silly or insignificant reasons. Write them down if you have to - but make sure to make connections between ANTs and situations when you get scared, anxious, or depressed.įor example, you might start to hear ANTs in your head when your crush or your friends don’t text you back. Be aware of what ANTs keep appearing and when they keep appearing. Take some time to be mindful of your thoughts. Congrats! You’re well on your way.ĭo you know exactly what ANTs keep popping up in your mind? It’s okay if the answer is no. The first step to replacing ANTs with more positive thoughts is to acknowledge that you experience automatic negative thoughts. This conscious awareness of ANTs can also help you replace and reframe ANTs with positive thoughts. Practices like mindful meditation can help you "deal with" automatic negative thoughts. Just witness them and allow them to pass." Instead learn mindfulness and just learn to not let yourself become the thoughts. The top comment came from u/ThatHuman6: "You don’t stop them. How to Stop Automatic Negative ThoughtsĪ Reddit user asked this question on the AskReddit thread. Fortunately, there are ways to reframe ANTs and replace them with more positive thoughts. There is no magic pill that will make them go away. You may make bad choices, but you can learn and grow from them. It’s quicker to write yourself off as a bad person, rather than accept that you, like the people around you, are imperfect. It may be easier to “tell the future” than to wait patiently for the future to arrive. Our minds also want a quick solution or answer. It might be “easier” to hold the weight of guilt rather than try to put it on another person or a larger history that may have contributed to misfortunes. Sometimes, it’s easiest to “get an answer” by blaming ourselves. We try to search for answers and make decisions quickly. Like the thoughts themselves, the answer may vary. So why do they keep popping up in your brain? (If you believe you might be suffering from depression, take an assessment and reach out to a professional.) Where Do Automatic Negative Thoughts Come From?ĪNTs aren’t very productive. These thoughts may make you feel helpless, exhausted, or just plan crummy about yourself. “It’s my fault that things have gotten so bad.”.A lot of automatic negative thoughts focus on the self and the decisions that were made in the past. Not all ANTs think they can predict the future. Yet, a person who listens to these ANTs may avoid social situations, hold back, or live in fear. These thoughts often have no basis in reality or logic. Although the person does not know the outcome of their situation, their ANTs tell them that things aren’t going to go well. These thoughts, often set in the future, reference events that haven’t happened yet. Examples of ANTs and AnxietyĪn anxious person may have ANTs concerning the future. The acronym ANTs is really appropriate, because automatic negative thoughts are invasive, unwanted, and can ruin your picnic. These thoughts may sound different for each person. People experiencing anxiety and depression are more likely to experience automatic negative thoughts. They are negative thoughts that seem to pop into your mind without conscious effort. How to Stop Automatic Negative Thoughts What Are Automatic Negative Thoughts?Īutomatic negative thoughts are pretty self-explanatory.
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