Positive thinking can be challenging. However, if you actively try to re frame your thoughts to be more positive eventually it can become habitual and it can even alleviate panic and depression! So the more you work at it the easier it can become! Keep up the good work!
Hi Silvana, I have a hard time finding positives also. I really have to think hard. I have one, well three constant positives, my kids. I always have them to go back to, because they couldn't be as well adapted as they are if I hadn't been at least a halfway good mom. And the breaking overwhelming tasks down into smaller ones is the only way I get anything done.
I have tried to think of positive things. At first I thought this was going to be a very easy exercise compared with the others. But I was wrong. I couldn't think of anything for hours, or shall I say days! This exercise has been really useful so far, as it has given me an idea of the amount of negativity I create with thoughts in my life. And of how little positive thinking I do. I am now trying to have at least one positive thought per day. This might seem easy to others but for me it is incredibly hard!
Welcome to Cognitive Behavioral
Therapy Day (CBT) on the forums!
Two days a week will now be dedicated to CBT day.
One day a week a PC health educator will launch a challenge. Members are
encouraged to take on the challenge and post their results. Four days later a PC educator will post specific tips and strategies to aid you in
the way you look/interpret yourself and the way you view the world.
This week we had you track how many
positive thoughts you were having each day. Below are some tips on how to
increase those numbers. Enjoy!
Think about the strengths, skills and
abilities you have that can help you in your situation. (This is
particularly important if you have identified that you have a tendency to
ignore the positive.)
Think about the external resources you can
pull in to help. This might mean calling a taxi if you are late for a
flight, or asking for some extra help if you are up against a tight work
deadline, or having problems understanding something before an exam.
When you are focused on your own fears and
anxieties it can be easy to overlook some of the resources that are
available - so make a conscious effort to appraise them.
If the task seems overwhelming, try
breaking it down into smaller chunks and facing these chunks one by one -
ticking off your progress as you go.
Check to see if you can make any
compromises (particularly important if you tend towards 'all or nothing'
thinking). Are there any elements of what you feel you have to achieve
that are actually non-essential (if desirable)? Consider leaving them out
for the time being, and coming back to them if you have time.
Check that you aren't blowing
the situation out of proportion (especially if you think you sometimes
tend to exaggerate or over-dramatize).
Challenge your thoughts to assess how realistic they really are. There will
be help with this through the rest of this section.
If your negative thoughts are
based on something you can't do anything about, then they aren't useful.
And if they aren't useful, then it's time to stop focusing on them.
Fake it until you make it! The
simple act of smiling and laughing can help lift your mood and make it
easier for you to see your world in a positive light.
Begin each morning off on the
right foot. Begin each day by naming everyone and everything you are
grateful for. You can also alternate with naming each person you love and
what exactly you love about them.
We hope
this post has been of help to you. We now encourage members to share their
tips, post comments or ask questions!
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