16 Jan Conquering Negative Thinking
Negative thinking. There is plenty of that going around. Not enough money. Not enough snow. Overweight. No partner. You are not enough. Oh, and the upcoming inauguration. But there are ways to conquer negative thinking. Lesley Alderman lines out a few in this New York Times article, “The Year of Conquering Negative Thinking.” And yes, mindfulness, the new chocolate of healing body and soul, does enter the picture.
Courtesy, Kelly Osborn, New York Times.
Here’s a New Year’s challenge for the mind: Make this the year that you quiet all those negative thoughts swirling around your brain.
All humans have a tendency to be a bit more like Eeyore than Tigger, to ruminate more on bad experiences than positive ones. It’s an evolutionary adaptation that helps us avoid danger and react quickly in a crisis.
But constant negativity can also get in the way of happiness, add to our stress and worry level and ultimately damage our health. And some people are more prone to negative thinking than others. Thinking styles can be genetic or the result of childhood experiences, said Judith Beck, a psychologist and the president of the Beck Institute for Cognitive Behavior Therapy in Bala Cynwyd, Pa. Children may develop negative thinking habits if they have been teased or bullied, or experienced blatant trauma or abuse. Women, overall, are also more likely to ruminate than men, according to a 2013 study.
“We were built to overlearn from negative experiences, but under learn from positive ones,” said Rick Hanson, a psychologist and senior fellow at the Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley…
Sharleen Cooper Cohen
Posted at 13:43h, 17 JanuaryLoved this information. Can really use it! Not so much negative thought in my brain as “did I do this?” “Did I remember to do that?” and the BIGGIE, “Do I HAVE to do that?”
xo SCC