Destructive thoughts: 5 ways to avoid them

If we get used to coexist with this type of ideas, we will fall into a mental trap.

The human brain processes an enormous amount of thoughts every day, every hour and every minute. Some of them are conscious thoughts, and others are automatic or unconscious; that is, they emerge into consciousness involuntarily. Among the latter some are destructive thoughtsThey affect our personal life much more than we can imagine. A destructive thought acquires such a category when it is given excessive importance that it can end up becoming a bad habit.

To visualize the problem, let us imagine that we have a negative thought from the first moment we open our eyes. If when we wake up we have in mind "how bad my day is going to be" for some reason and we repeat it to ourselves throughout the day, what will be the result? It is a supreme evidence that nothing will go well. This will result in a general malaise: apathy, tiredness, anger or sadness. The crux of the matter lies in the unconsciousness of these thoughts but, in addition, we must take into account how complicated it is to eliminate these mental images.

The 4 most common destructive thoughts

Below we will present the 4 most common destructive thoughts.

1. Demand

It is one of the great variables of negative thinking. The modern society requires an atrocious competitionof human values based on professional achievements. When we resort to "I must" or "I have to" obviating the consequences, is when stress, anxiety and worry settle in our nervous system. We have to give way to "I want to" or "I can". Everyone should be aware of their possibilities and capabilities.

2. Generalization

Having a destructive view of the reality around us is another major dilemma. When we focus our thoughts on statements such as "how bad things are going for me" or "I never do anything right! we tend to falsely generalize about the bad in every step we take.. We need to focus on the positive points of our daily lives.

3. Labels

When we label ourselves, we end up believing that we are one way or another. "I'm not good at this or that", "I'm lazy". The repetition of these statements internalizes the way we project our personality. Moreover, even if others tell us so, we must avoid paying attention to them. It is extremely important to love oneself and to be worth to be able to be happy.

4. Catastrophism

Many people suffer from chronic negative thoughts from the moment they wake up until they go to sleep. Ideas and beliefs such as "I'm not going to get away with this" or "I'm unlucky" only aggravate the situation. It is not a matter of putting a good face on bad weather, but of trying to minimize the damage and, especially, not to get ahead of ourselves by creating new problems creating new problems where they do not exist. Premature worrying makes good personal development impossible.

The 5 keys to put an end to negative thoughts

Very often we human beings recognize the problem we have or the mental blocks we suffer, but even more often we do not know how to deal with them. In the following lines we will review the five most precious tips to combat destructive thoughts.

1. Healthy environment

All individuals are born, grow up and become established in a specific family and social environment. The characteristics of the same ones can determine in a transcendental way our way of seeing things. If we are part of a family, friends or groups where a bad atmosphere reigns, it will be very difficult to get out of the loop, it will be very difficult to get out of the loop.. Breaking these ties will be the first step to overcome negative dynamics.

2. Accepting daily difficulties

In our childhood and as our youth progresses until we reach adulthood, we always have the perception that everything is going uphill. It is nothing more than that, a false perception, since in the first years of life, in most cases, we do not try so hard to achieve what makes us happy. However, as we get older, we have to deal with those unforeseen responsibilities and difficulties. Coping with these situations using the right strategies helps prevent destructive thoughts.

3. Avoid envy

This is one of the great problems of negative feelings. Wanting what others have, whether material or immaterial goods, is a clear sign of envy, which leads to insecurity and frustration. leads to insecurity and frustration.. We must avoid the kind of beliefs that lead to it, be more grateful in life and, above all, be realistic and know that there will always be someone above us in some quality.

4. Recognize our weaknesses

As it usually happens in all aspects of life, the first step to solve a problem is to identify the weak point in us that exposes it. In this case, society "forces" us to hide this characteristic. Social sanctions are very accentuated when we expose these shortcomings, but we must know how to face these situations in order to improve and not fall into self-abasement. Self-esteem is fundamental in this aspectWe can recognize the failure and still fight the negativity.

5. Shy away from hypercontrol

From an early age we are educated to have everything under control, and little or very little effort is made to deal with unforeseen events. That is why, very often, our mental framework is so easily overwhelmed by any anomaly. Even a situation beyond our control, such as the weather, often frustrates us to the point of having a bad day. This does not mean that we should try to restrict our ability to feel anger, it should simply last as short a time as possible and be experienced in a constructive way.