How to deal with intrusive thoughts effectively.
This nugget is one of 50 from my book, ‘Unlocking My Greatest Self’, a bite-sized practical guide to improving your life and mental wellbeing in today’s crazy, conflicted world.
The lies we tell ourselves.
This ‘Thought’ nugget centres around the cruel lies we often tell ourselves – to our own detriment. Have you ever thought, ‘I’m hopeless’? ‘I’ll never be any good’? If you haven’t had such extreme thoughts as these, I’m sure you’ve had similar doubts about yourself on that date or social event you’re about to go on, that speech or talk you’re about to give in front of colleagues.
‘Will they like me?’ ‘What if I’m not funny enough?’
We must remind ourselves that these thoughts are distortions and projections, not facts. Such catastrophising and generalising can lead to anxiety and depression and can stop us doing anything enjoyable and good for us which may help us to build resilience. So what can we do? How to tackle such seemingly uncontrollable and intrusive thoughts?
Tips for Intrusive thinking
- Start to write your negative thoughts down. It brings them to the light, out of the unconscious so that they can be dealt with.
- Perhaps keep a journal. A nicely designed book that you can write them in.
- Is that thought true? Give each thought you have a rating out of 100% for how much you really believe it. Push yourself here and really question it.
- Write next to that thought which emotion it causes in you and the intensity you feel out of 100%.
- Write a better, more practical thought instead and re-rate your belief in the original one – and how much your emotion has changed.
My book on Amazon
For more of these type of nuggets, seek out my book ‘Unlocking my Greatest Self’ – 50 secrets to becoming calm, confident and fulfilled. It’s available on Amazon.
Help from DOCwellness
If you find yourself thinking these type of negative thoughts in any way in any circumstances, Contact us today if you would like to discuss things more.