Glass half full or half empty?

Have you ever been described as “a glass half empty” kind of person? At some point most of us have found ourselves thinking on more of the negative side of things. Negative thinking habits are just that, habit.

The good news? Habits can be broken.

Over the next several weeks, we will discuss how to break the cycle of negative thinking, but first let me introduce you to the most commonly known types of negative, or distorted, patterns of thinking.

All or Nothing thinking: everything is seen as black or white…no areas of inbetween. If something falls short of perfection it is labeled as a total failure.

Overgeneralization: a single negative event as seen as a pattern. Often using words like “never” or “always”

Mental filter: only seeing the negative in a situation, ignoring the positive

Discounting the positives: Playing down a positive or ignoring a compliment. Thinking “anyone could have accomplished this”.

Jumping to conclusions:

• Mind-reading - assuming someone is thinking the worst about you

• Fortune telling - predicting things will turn out badly

Magnification: blowing things out of proportion

Emotional Reasoning: Allowing your feelings to become facts

Should Statements: Telling ourselves “I should have” or “shouldn’t have”

Labeling: Assigning a label to yourself based on one event or outcome

Personalization or Blame: Holding yourself responsible for something that wasn’t totally your fault or within your control

If you resonate with any of these patterns, don’t worry. There is hope. You have the power to challenge the way you think and form new habits. Come back next week to learn more about all or nothing thinking & what you can do to change it.

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