Changing the Way We Think
Sounds easy enough right? Imagine how your life could be different if you weren’t as negative or critical. You may enjoy more experiences or get less irritated by the little things in life. You may have a more positive outlook on life and become more aware of the good that is around you.
A lot of the time, there are these thoughts called cognitive distortions or irrational thoughts that are blocking you from having a positive outlook on life. Just so we are clear, everyone and I mean everyone has cognitive distortions. Thoughts like: “If I clean the house for my husband, he will be happy when he gets home” or “If I don’t pass this test, I will never get into college”. There are many different types of cognitive distortions.
Cognitive distortions include:
Magnification and Minimization: Exaggerating or minimizing the importance of events
Jumping to Conclusions: Assuming the outcome of a situation
Overgeneralization: Applying the events or ideas of a few situations to all other situations that are similar.
Disqualifying the Positive: Only focusing on the negatives of a situation and not the positives.
There are many more cognitive distortions, but these are a few to think about.
I challenge you to recognize these thoughts and when you do, replace it with a more positive one.
Going from, “I do not want to get up, because I dislike my job” to “I am fortunate to have a job and my health to get me there”.
It takes practice, but I believe this is the start to changing the way you think and having a more positive outlook on life.
Morgan Twidwell,
LSCSW
MORE BY MORGAN
