6 Ways to Overcome Negative Thinking with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Clinically reviewed by: Hailey Perez, LMFT
Do you find yourself engaged in negative thinking throughout the day? You’re not alone. It is our natural instinct to find negative thoughts particularly compelling, which is why we keep coming back to them.
This is sometimes referred to as a negativity bias and is not in itself a bad thing. It comes from our natural tendency to make up stories, a key component in the human ability to form complex concepts and create remarkable innovations. Since we are driven by survival instincts, negative thoughts are a necessary component of our inner storytelling, preparing us to prevent or navigate potential crises.
They captivate us because they are so important.
Unfortunately, negative thinking often turns inward, leading a person to believe that something is wrong with themselves. They tell themselves that they need to change in order to be worthy, loved, and safe. This causes struggles with self-esteem and is a common catalyst for mental illness.
The good news is that modern psychology has provided many ways to overcome negative thinking. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) in particular offers various tools to challenge, change, and reduce the impact of unhelpful thoughts.
What Causes Negative Thoughts?
We’ve mentioned that negative thinking is a natural survival mechanism utilized by every single person on the planet. But what about people whose lives feel dominated by negative thinking, especially about themselves? Where do these thoughts come from?
There are a number of common causes of negative thinking. They include:
Mental Health Conditions
The relationship between negative thoughts and mental health conditions is a cyclical one. In some cases, the mental illness comes first, emerging due to biological predispositions. The feelings and state of mind generated by the condition cause the person’s thoughts to become overwhelmingly negative.
In other cases, negative thoughts are precipitated by other catalysts (mentioned below) and create the conditions from which mental illnesses emerge. The symptoms of the mental illness then further amplify the severity and urgency of the thoughts.
Different mental health conditions generate specific types of negative thoughts. For example:
Depression commonly causes thoughts which are pessimistic, espouse hopelessness, and interpret things through an overwhelmingly negative lens.
Generalized anxiety disorder leads to catastrophizing about everything that could possibly go wrong, putting excessive worries at the forefront of a person’s mind.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is characterized by obsessive and intrusive negative thoughts which are often irrational. These thoughts are highly distressing and trigger the urge to carry out compulsive behaviors in order to provide temporary relief.
Substance use disorder can cause the formation of negative thinking patterns about life without substances, one’s own worth, and self-blame related to addiction.
Childhood Experiences
Our thought patterns are shaped both by nature (biological factors) and nurture (the environment we grow up in). Childhood experiences play a significant role in the development of negative thinking. In early childhood, our minds are like sponges. The messaging we receive, especially from our caregivers, is internalized.
This messaging may be communicated directly. Parents sometimes tell their child that the world is dangerous or that they are lazy or a myriad of other statements that they believe to be helpful.
However, powerful messaging is also communicated through actions. A child who gets punished for making a mistake might learn that they need to be “perfect” in order to be worthy. A child whose parent consistently fears the worst might learn that life is dangerous. A child with an absent but generous parent might learn to look for love in gifts or financial rewards.
Trauma
Trauma is often a catalyst for negative thinking. Whether someone experiences it in childhood or as an adult, it activates a strong fear response. They become overly aware of potential threats, thinking of what could go wrong in each and every situation.
For some people, this may be a symptom of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a mental health condition in which the body’s threat response remains active long after the event. But negative thinking related to trauma is common even for those who do not develop PTSD.
Interpersonal Relationship Struggles
Difficulties in interpersonal relationships can also lead to negative thinking. A sense of belonging is a basic human need. When we feel at risk of isolation, we may begin to believe that we are unworthy of love.
Family relationships are often challenging. Since family plays such a huge role in a person’s life, tension between members can dominate their thinking. Societal factors provide additional pressure, with unrealistic expectations of who one is “supposed” to be.
Work relationships can be particularly stressful. Conflicts with colleagues may have high financial or career stakes. Thoughts about competence can begin to crop up regularly.
Cognitive Distortions in Negative Thinking
Negative thoughts are powerful because they seem true. However, they’re based on cognitive distortions. Common cognitive distortions include:
Catastrophizing: Exaggerating the severity of a situation and focusing on the worst case scenario.
Overgeneralization: Drawing broad conclusions based only on negative events.
Filtering: Ignoring the positive aspects of a situation and any evidence that contradicts a negative interpretation.
Confusing Emotions with Facts: Assuming that the reality matches what you are feeling.
Self-Blame: Taking responsibility for negative events, even when they are out of your control.
6 Techniques for Overcoming Negative Thinking
One of the biggest advantages of CBT is that it is effective in the treatment for negative thoughts no matter its source. They can be adapted when necessary, but the principles and mechanisms remain the same.
The following are 6 common CBT techniques for overcoming negative thinking.
Cognitive Restructuring
The most fundamental CBT technique is cognitive restructuring. It is a practical method for changing negative thought patterns that can be used again and again.
It follows the following steps:
Identify negative thoughts: Recognize when a powerful negative thought arises and write it down.
Challenge it: Break the thought down into its component parts, then consider it from an objective perspective. Is there evidence that contradicts the assumptions on which the thought is based? For example, the thought that “I will always fail” includes assumptions that negative outcomes are inevitable, that they are personal failings, that setbacks are always a bad thing, and more.
Reframe it: Construct an accurate alternative to the thought, reframing it as neutral or even positive. With a change in perspective, what you previously saw as a negative outcome can be a healthy part of life. Setback, for example, are normal and important opportunities for learning and growth.
Journaling and Thought Records
Start tracking negative thoughts even when you are not actively challenging them. Write them down in a journal and, over time, identify recurring themes and patterns. Find the beliefs that underlie them so that you can analyze them with clarity and challenge their veracity.
Behavioral Experiments
Behaving in ways contradictory to negative thoughts is an effective way to disprove them. However, since avoidance is a common outcome of negative thinking, you may feel you don’t have the capacity to do challenging activities.
Behavioral experiments are a way of bringing yourself to engage in such scenarios. You might also approach scenarios which are frequent and unavoidable in ways different from before. Common examples include attending social events, speaking with strangers, and driving to new places or taking public transportation.
This technique is not about “mind-over-matter”. You are not simply trying something difficult, but rather planning how you will act in advance, making contingencies for potential challenges, and preparing to regulate your emotions if faced with unpredictable outcomes.
Afterwards, you assess how your experience contradicts your negative thinking. In some cases, this will involve appreciating that the scenario played out seamlessly. In others, it will require you to recognize that even though the outcome was not perfect, you were able to challenge yourself and there were no catastrophic consequences.
Relaxation and Stress Reduction
Emotions are felt in your body. By changing physical feelings associated with negative thinking, the thoughts change as well. Some effective CBT techniques are therefore focused on physical relaxation and stress reduction. They include:
Deep breathing: Breathing exercises counter the rapid, shallow breaths triggered by feelings like anxiety.
Progressive muscle relaxation: Letting go of the tension in each muscle group, one at a time.
Visualization: Bringing to mind relaxing scenarios which calm your body and change your negative thoughts.
These techniques can be practiced on a daily basis. Over time, you improve your ability to deepen your breathing and release tension, making it possible to do so during challenging moments throughout the day.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness is a philosophy that changes the way you experience thoughts and feelings. It trains you to feel your emotions in the moment, rather than trying to push them away. While avoiding difficult emotions actually causes them to stick around, they fade away over a brief period of time when you let them be without judgment.
Common mindfulness techniques used in CBT include meditation, breathing exercises, body scans, and checking in with your feelings throughout the day.
Activity Scheduling
When you are beset by negative thoughts, you are unlikely to engage in behaviors that improve your mood. Instead, you engage in negative behaviors that reinforce your current thought patterns, such as staying home, neglecting relationships, and avoiding physical activity.
Activity scheduling is the process of identifying and scheduling activities that improve your mood. Examples include engaging in things that bring you pleasure, exercising, spending time in nature, and getting together with friends.
Cognitive Defusion
Do you find yourself ruminating over negative thoughts? This is called cognitive fusion and causes an overidentification with the thoughts, amplifying them and creating further distress.
Cognitive defusion refers to techniques that help you create distance from thoughts. Instead of trying to get rid of negative thoughts, which is ineffective at best, you observe and hear them without actively listening to them. You see them for what they are – just thoughts and not facts.
How Effective is CBT for Reducing Negative Thinking Patterns?
CBT is used by most modern therapists, whether as a primary modality or a component of the therapy process. Its popularity is connected to the sheer volume of studies that have shown its effectiveness.
Negative thinking is a core attribute that CBT targets in providing therapeutic benefits and treating mental illness. The techniques used are practical and can become habitual, reducing negative thinking patterns and not just changing specific thoughts.
Other types of talk therapy can be effective at changing thought patterns but may place more focus on insight and exploration.
How Octave Can Help You Achieve Emotional Wellbeing
If you are looking to treat your negative thinking, CBT is an excellent option. How do you go about looking for a CBT therapist?
With Octave, you can connect with a broad range of therapists with expertise in CBT. By searching according to your state and insurance provider, you ensure that you will receive maximum coverage.
Ready to overcome negative thinking with CBT? Get matched with a therapist by our team today. Contact Octave to get started.
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