Positivity Tricks To Play On Your Mind
Eliminate the self-doubt that can invade your mind and play the trick of positivity on yourself.
Using the power of positive thought to enhance personal wellbeing.
THE BRIEF
Time to read: 3 minutes 30 seconds
Time to action: 1 minute
Mantra: Remember: The thing is not the thing. It’s the thing you think about the thing
Main message: Simple tricks to turn your mindset from enemy to ally
Stat: 69% of people would like to think more positively about themselves nypost.com
Would it be fair to say that, on occasion, your mind doesn’t always help you? More often than not you’re a team, a biological machine that helps you get to where you need to be. But then, sometimes, there are the 2am doubts, the Sunday anxieties. There’s the dark little voice in those little grey cells reminding you of the lesser side to living. This is called being human. You can kick against it all you want, but unless you are reading this as the world’s most educated canine, it’s going to affect you.
For all the good that the wellness movement has created, it is fair to say it’s accompanied by more than its fair share of garbage. The intent is wonderful, no doubt, but when it comes to the doing, it’s not always practical. For many, there is still some darkness that won’t quite pass no matter how well we pretend. No matter how much we keep it all in.
Here’s the caveat: time. That’s what it will take to get your reset, running. What we are about to suggest however takes no time to adopt, no cost to begin and offers an outlook that will help to develop a perspective you can hold onto. When your mind tells you everything is too dark to deal with, these tricks you can help your brain see the light.
Create a ‘Yet’ Mindset
When it comes to personal resilience, the deceptively simple word "yet" is a potent catalyst for real-world perspective. Adding ‘yet’ to a statement turns limitations into maybes. It’s a subtle shift, but it creates ‘psychological space for possibility’, which promotes personal growth. It shows that progress is attainable. Do it at least 10 times a day. Emails, mantras, social posts, whatever medium you choose. There is no wrong, but get to 10. Only at 9? Don’t worry that you haven’t hit it…yet.
Objectify Self-Reflection
Self-doubt is one of the strongest tricks our mind play on us. A subtle but essential shift is to try and refocus it around self-reflection. You do this by regularly assessing your progress, recognising achievements and identifying areas for improvement. This creates what is known as ‘objective self-evaluation’ (OSE), which helps maintain a balanced perspective, but allows for acknowledging your strengths instead of simply addressing areas that you feel need attention. You will be surprised how the achievements stack up, even if the improvements occupy most of your free headspace.
Challenge Cognitive Distortions
Cognitive distortions, or ‘Negative Thought Patterns’ often involve overgeneralizing, catastrophising, or engaging in black-and-white thinking. The trick is to actively question these thoughts and replace them with more balanced and realistic perspectives. Now, you will feel like a fool doing this, but, do it anyway: ask yourself out loud - why? So, say you don’t think you’re going to get a promotion - say (out loud) - ‘Why do I think I won't get a promotion?’ Then follow up, (out loud) with the reasons why you think/feel/believe, you should. You don’t have to validate them, just remind yourself. Taking it outside of your head can be the best way to create just the amount of distance needed to separate your negative internal dialogue from genuine reality. If you can talk to someone about it, wonderful, but this is an ‘as well as’ exercise, not an ‘instead of’. 3 times a week should see your mind become a little more forgiving.
Increase Progressive Exposure
This is especially true for 40+ Gen Xers. You are middle-aged, not dead. You are capable of growth and adaptation to a level you probably do not give yourself credit for. The trick is to gradually expose yourself to situations that trigger self-doubt, incrementally increasing the challenge. It could be as simple as increasing digital literacy by starting an Instagram account. Set it up one day, and find things you like the next. Save the next and so on, until you feel you're ready to post. It might be new to you, but it can also be simple in a few weeks. This method allows you to build resilience and confidence over time. Each successful encounter reinforces belief in your abilities but just as importantly removes the doubt around your abilities.
Simple ways to remind your mind that the negativity you feel is just a small part of the overall picture. If ever the darker thoughts start, think about adopting one (or all?) of these daily practises. Make sure your perspective on what matters stays in proportion.
DR DOG
A cognitive psychologist specialising in those most 21st Century of issues, anxiety and depression. Dog is especially good at delivering actionable answers. Removing the rhetoric and hyperbole and focusing simply and directly on practical information that can be used to help mental health daily.
