What Does It Mean to Be Mentally Strong or Weak?

・No One Is Mentally Strong to Begin With

First of all, what does it mean to be mentally “strong” or “weak”?

Mental strength isn’t a given strength people have. It’s more about how good you are at navigating through emotions when a negative incident occurs.

For example, lets’ say a man was given the opportunity to do a presentation at his company. Over a few days, he gathers information, creates the necessary files for it, and presents everything at the end. However, the boss responds with very critical feedback. How does this man react to that critical feedback?

Scenario 1: Let me incorporate what he said and try again

Scenario 2: I’m not going to care about it too much

Scenario 3: I tried so hard, yet all I got was a critical opinion on it

Scenario 1 is a response from someone who is positive that tries to grow towards their next opportunity. Scenario 1 is the most ideal way to navigate your emotions. Instead of facing away from the problem, they improve their skills so that they can prepare and build their mental tolerance towards the issue.

At a quick glance, the scenario 2 response seems like a response from someone who is mentally strong. However, this does not consider fixing the situation to prepare for future possibilities. This response is effective in brushing off malicious and offensive acts carried out towards a person. It is important to assess how important the situation is before you choose this option

The most problematic is scenario 3. A negative response to feedback only grows negative emotions within that leads to a loss of self-esteem. This is spotted in people that are always too serious or are perfectionists. When they can’t achieve their ideal goals, they tend to self-sabotage.

・It’s Important to Shift Your Thoughts

When there’s an inconvenient event that happens, we feel unpleasant. After the unpleasant feelings, it turns into negative emotions of frustration or anxiety. This shift from unpleasant to negative emotion is part of how the brain reacts and we cannot change this mechanism.

Most people who are mentally vulnerable tend to be affected by these negative emotions that arise. Eventually, they feel trapped in a negative cell from the illusion that they’ve created.

People who are considered mentally strong are capable of shifting their thinking more positively before they get affected by these negative emotions.

This thought shift is a vital skill. If we use the example from above in the case of the presentation getting critical feedback from the boss, you can shift your thinking into the positive by focusing on your potential growth from this experience.

5 Mental Strength Training Methods to Try Now

Just like muscle strength or endurance training, we can build out our mental strength so that we become more tolerant of adversities. Below, we introduce the 5 training methods we recommend for you to try.

Method 1: Self-Reflect Through Self-Talk

By changing the pronouns while you talk to yourself, you can create a second-person dialogue. This allows you to see your situation from a distance so that you can see things more clearly and objectively.

You can specifically shift the dialogue by using first-person, second-person, and third-person pronouns. Below are examples if we continue the scenario of presenting and receiving critical feedback from the boss.

・First-Person
“I’m super nervous. I’ve perpared well, but I wonder if everyone will understand.”

・Second-Person
“Hey, you don’t have to feel so nervous. You’ve prepared well, so all you have to do is present with confidence.”

・Third-Person
“He doesn’t have to feel that nervous. He prepared well. I’m sure people will understand if he presents with confidence.”

As you can see, talking to yourself as if you were another person creates the necessary distance to gain clarity.

Method 2: Mindfulness Meditation

Mindfulness is a way of thinking that enhances the experience of the present “now.” Mindfulness meditation is applied in cognitive behavioral therapy within the mental health field.

It focuses on subtle sensory signs of the body, such as how it feels when a single bean is placed on the palm of your hand. The focus on these subtle actions helps steer our thoughts away from negativity. Once we displace ourselves from a position of stress, we can recognize new aspects that lead to solving the problem itself.

1. Sit with a straight back
2. Close your eyes and feel your breath
3. If your thoughts start to wander, bring back the attention to the breath

These 3 points are all you need to practice mindfulness meditation. Start from 3 to 5 minutes of practice and then expand to 10 minutes or 15 minutes as you go.

Method 3: Think Like a Fly on the Wall

The Fly On The Wall method is a great way to gain objectivity. As the word spells it out, you act as if you’re a fly on the wall as if you could understand the situation with a bird’s-eye view.

This method is test proven through an experiment at Ohio University and known to be effective as a stress care method. Similar to mindfulness meditation, it requires no tool.

The most important technique in this is to create an external view of what’s happening to yourself.

You’ll be affected less by negative emotions once you learn how to separate your emotions and actual reality. You don’t have to be a fly. It could be another bug, a cloud, a light pole. By continuing this practice, you train your mind to constantly take an objective perspective and this helps cool down anger when it arises.

Method 4: Organize Your Thoughts on a Piece of Paper

If a negative incident is straining your thoughts, try writing it all out on a piece of paper.

The content should be based on what happened and how you felt.

• I got into a fight with a friend – Unhappy
• I had to go to work on a day off – Sad
• I got stuck in traffic – Frustrating

When we write out how we feel on a piece of paper, the visualization of our feelings helps organize our thoughts. The understanding of why we feel unhappy or frustrated will give us the opportunity to recognize our biases and negative beliefs.

Negativity is contagious so it’s easy to roll down the negative spiral once you’re in it. Write out all your feelings and organize your thoughts. See if you can capture things in a more positive light.

Method 5: Learn How to Build Automatic Positivity

Mental weakness comes from us reacting negatively to incidents. This is called “automatic thinking,” and when our automatic thoughts are steered negatively it can trigger a state of depression.

However, this tendency can be fixed through training by continually focusing on the 3 points below:

1. Reflect on your past success
2. Think positive thoughts if you ever feel yourself getting negative
3. Think of the influences that positive memories bring

First, recall a positive success memory. It can be anything from receiving a compliment or a good score on a test. Think of what elements produced the results and try to unravel the secrets to your success and failures. Continually recalling your success will automatically kick your thoughts into positive gear.

It’s also helpful to recall how you’ve overcome failure. If you ever feel negative, remember the moment you grew from your failures. Perhaps it’s now a great story to tell or you recognize how important someone was to you. Try to understand the past as a positive event that made you who you are today.

If your friends encouraged you through failures, you can take it that you have great friends. If you’re able to make it into a great story from the past, perhaps you have the whit to do so. Sprinkle these positive aspects into your mind and this will help create an automated process towards positive thinking.

Strengthen The Mind and Body Through Mental Training

We talked about strengthening our mental tolerance through training, but weakness has its benefits too.

If you tend to be sensitive to small incidents, another way to see it is that you are expressive and have a strong sensibility. If you feel anxiety and pressure, it could mean that you feel more responsible than others.

If you feel that you’re mentally weak and need the training to build mental tolerance, just make sure that you don’t lose the great aspects that you already have. We hope you keep your unique greatness as an individual while building out parts that need support for a more enjoyable life!

Nowadays, an AI can help you on your mental journey without any restrictions on time schedule, or location. The more you interact, the more adequate advice it can give. It’s an affordable alternative counseling method with a free trial period. Give it a try!
→SELF MIND

Reference：

【World Health Organization】

【BlueCross BlueShield THE HEALTH OF AMERICA】

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What is A Life Coach?

A life coach encourages conversations that promote reflection and answers from within. They also assist through necessary steps to achieve a client’s personal goal. Life coaches are a type of wellness professionals who help people attain greater fulfillment through communication and mentorship.

The estimated that there were approximately 71,000 coach practitioners in 2019 globally. This was a 33% increase compared to the 2015 estimate, as coach services gain popularity around the world.

The Difference Between Coaching and Counseling

Similar to coaching is the term counseling. The two have elements that overlap, although coaching is action-oriented while counseling is coping-oriented.

What Kind of People Benefit From A Life Coach?

A life coach can lead us to answers and perspectives that we wouldn’t have found on our own. If you’re the following type of person, you can benefit from a personal life coach:

People Who Want Change

We all have different struggles; family, friends, romantic, career, academics, etc. If you’re looking for a change but don’t know where to start, a coach can be helpful. On the other hand, if you’re happy with life as it is and don’t need much change, a coach may feel like a waste of time.

People Facing Stressful Situations

Are you feeling stressed from work or school? A coach can set you on a more mentally sound path. One university study reports that coaching helps with stress reduction. A coach can guide you through finding the stress cause and advise the best approach. This helps set a better trajectory towards recovery and a healthier mental state.

Benefits of Having A Life Coach

A coach not only “teaches” you, but helps you recognize what YOU think. They help you take your own initiative towards making better decisions. The following are some of the benefits to having a life coach:

The Ability to Proactively Solve Problems

Coaching helps draw out answers that are deep within us. To do this, a coach will repeat dialogues focused on what possible blocks are, what to do, and how to plan towards a goal. A client can transform their mindset from passive to proactive through the repetitive exercises and learn how to face challenging circumstances.

Better Communication Skills

Excellent communication skills are vital in any kind of working environment. Repeated coaching sessions train clients to become better communicators. It also helps a client better understand the ‘intentions’ behind what others are trying to communicate. Communication skills gained through sessions will help anyone become a more proficient business person.

Entering ‘the Zone’ for Optimal Performance

A ‘zone’ describes a hyper-concentrated state where we become fully immersed in whatever we are doing. Anyone can ‘enter the zone’ through sports, business, academics, or hobbies.

Coaching sessions can help people gain clarity in how to visualize a path to success. The sessions help with continual positive thinking which makes it easier for a person to enter a flow state to give optimal performance. A positive mindset also combats negativity to keep our mental states calm.

How Can I Try A Life Coaching Session?

How can we take advantage of the benefits and enroll in a coaching session? It starts with finding a life coach that matches your goals. There are tons of organizations and websites that list coaches based on needs. Try to pick someone that you feel compelled to work with or someone who has the credentials and specialty for your challenges.

Differences like in-person or online sessions, price, and available time frames all will contribute to a decision.

Can an AI app provide coaching sessions? Try SELF MIND app for a FREE trial!
If you’re looking for more tips on how to care for your mental health, check out some of our past blog posts!

Self-Help Through Coaching Sessions

Although there are many proven benefits to having a life coach, every individual is different in what they can gain from it. Trying a few trial sessions could never hurt in seeing if it’s something you really want to proceed with.

Bottling your thoughts and feelings can lead to mental stress. Give life coaching a try to explore and transform parts of yourself you never knew.

Reference:

Matsuda, T., & Tsuda, A. (2014). Application of Coaching on Mental Health Care of Japanese Language Teachers. Kurume University Psychology Research, 13, 87–94. https://ci.nii.ac.jp/naid/120005704920/en

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The Basics of The Four Good Things

This technique is a modified version of the “Three Good Things” method.
You can read more about that in the article below:

In mental health care, keeping a diary is a rudimentary approach to stress-coping. A record of our daily state of mind allows us to see our situation objectively. This also helps us recognize cognitive biases so that we can correct them in the right direction. Given the benefits, it’s a frequently used technique in cognitive behavioral therapy.

The “Four Good Things” method was created by Professor Elaine Fox at the University of Oxford. The use of the diary format through this method effectively relieves stress and steers our thoughts towards a more positive direction. Here is the simple way to do it:

1. Write down one negative thing that happened that day.
2. Write down four positive events.

The positive events can be anything at all, as long as it’s something that makes you feel happy. Here are some examples:

・I was complimented on my work today.
・My family was in a good mood.
・I woke up feeling well-rested.
・The food I ate today was delicious.
・I saw my favorite actor on TV today.

The key is to write down one negative event that happened. In the same way that sprinkling a pinch of salt into a cookie dough can help bring out sweetness, awareness of a negative event will serve as a contrast against the positive. This allows positive events to really shine through to make a stronger impression on the brain.

While there is still little data on this Four Good Things method, Professor Fox’s experiments have confirmed that it has a higher stress-relieving effect than just writing down three good things.

Outshine Negativity With More Positivity

Unfortunately, negative events are more likely to leave an impression in our brains, creating a cognitive bias. For example, let’s say we hop on a train and feel pleased that “the train arrived on time smoothly”. This thought fades away pretty quickly. On the other hand, a negative thought like, “I just missed the train by a few seconds, and now I have to wait until the next one,” will leave a stronger impression on the brain. The stronger the impression, the longer the memory will be retained. Soon, we find ourselves repeatedly experiencing the same feelings every time a similar event happens. As a result, a cognitive bias is created in our minds, leading us to believe that, “I always miss the train by a few seconds. I’m so unlucky.”

In order to avoid creating this bias in our thinking, we need to counteract the impressions of negative events as they occur. Since negative events leave stronger impressions than positive events, counteracting one negative event with one positive event is not enough to achieve our desired outcome. The Four Good Things method aims to eliminate the impact of a negative event by fighting it with four positive events. The idea is simple. Even if something negative happened, if there are even more positive events to remember, the overall impression will turn positive.

If you’re asking yourself, “why am I always so unlucky?” or hold beliefs that, “things just don’t work out the way I want them to,” you may need to correct your own cognitive biases. We can definitely try to increase our stress tolerance and positivity using the Four Good Things.

Throw Away the Negative, Turn to the Positive

The Four Good Things method can potentially eliminate your negative cognitive biases and create a more positive mindset. Give it a try if you want to build a strong mentality to combat stress.

Having a coping mechanism on hand, such as the Four Good Things, keeps our mental health in check. This is just one of the many easy stress-care techniques you can try. Figure out what works for you and get into the habit of practicing. One of the keys to living a healthy and happy life is knowing how to properly cope with stress.

Image：Unsplash
Reference：
Fox, E. (2013). Rainy brain, sunny brain: The new science of optimism and pessimism. London: Arrow Books.

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The Widely-Used Method of Keeping a Diary

The “three good things” utilizes the popular self-care technique of writing in a diary. It’s very simple in practice. All you have to do is write down 3 positive things that happened that day, every day before bed. That’s all there is to it. What you choose to write down can be anything if it makes you feel positive. It could be little things that happened in your day, such as that your family was in a good mood, or you woke up in the morning feeling rested.

According to a study conducted by the University of California, subjects who practiced this habit for 10 weeks increased their resistance to stress by 25%. The three good things method has many positive benefits, including but not limited to:

・Increased feelings of happiness from reminiscing the positive
・Increased proactivity in finding the good in life, resulting in optimism
・Induces natural sleep when made into a regular bedtime habit

The one controversy experts have about this method is the frequency it’s practiced. Some say its best to practice it every day, while others say it’s more effective if done once a week. Moreover, because it’s a well-known technique, there are so many studies about its various perspectives, some of which claim that its effects on happiness are minimal. Just because it’s a commonly recommended method in self-help books, doesn’t mean that it works like magic for everybody.

Having said that, the three good things is definitely a very quick and easy stress care method that has potential for many good outcomes. The investment required in time and money are very low, so why not give it a consistent try!

Refine Your Ability to Find the Positive

In this world, there are people racked with stress, spending their days feeling gloomy – while there are others who have positive outlooks on everything, seemingly always happy even from afar. What is the difference between these two types of people? Of course, there may be inherent differences in personality, living environment, or social standing. But maybe, people with a higher sense of happiness are just “better at finding the positive in life”.

Many of us focus on negative experiences where we repeatedly remind ourselves of the bad. This leads our thinking to be more negative in general. In order to suppress these negative thoughts and practice positivity, we need to intentionally focus our consciousness on positive events.

The three good things method serves as a practice for turning your awareness to positive events. Once you make a habit out of it, you’ll acquire a strong mentality that’s resilient to stress.

Throw Away the Negative; Turn to the Positive

Practicing the ‘three good things’ method creates the potential to improve our sense of happiness and resilience towards stress. It’s perfect for people who want to build strong mentalities against stress.

Having coping mechanisms on hand, such as the ‘three good things’ method, keeps our mental health in check. This is just one of the many easy stress-care techniques you can try. Figure out what works for you and get into the habit of practicing. One of the keys to living a healthy and happy life is to properly cope with stress.

Image：Unsplash
Reference：
Jeffrey J. Froh , William J. Sefick , Robert A. Emmons

「Counting blessings in early adolescents: An experimental study of gratitude and subjective well-being」

（Nat Hum Behav. 2017 May; 1(5): 0093）

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Make Stress Disappear in 14 Seconds

The Positive Memory method was devised by Rutgers University in New Jersey. It’s a technique that is considered to have a quick and strong effect on relieving stress. The steps are very simple. All you have to do is remember happy memories for 14 seconds. In an experiment, this is all it took for the participants for their stress to start lifting off their shoulders.

In addition, experiments showed that the participants’ cortisol levels were suppressed when the Positive Memory method was practiced. Cortisol is known as the stress hormone that secretes when we feel stress. This means that the Positive Memory method not only makes us feel better but has a scientific basis as to why it relieves stress.

The good memories you pick during this exercise can be anything, given that it’s something that makes you feel happy. Success in the workplace, a fun holiday, a compliment from a friend, etc. It can really be anything, as long as it is a positive memory.

Stock Up on Good Memories

It’s not a bad thing to feel stress in our day to day life. The problem occurs when we avoid dealing with the stress and ignore it. It’s normal for the aforementioned hormone, cortisol, to temporarily increase when we feel stress. But if we leave our stress unresolved, it will eventually trigger a big stress response within.

In recent years, there’s been an uptick of interest in mental health. This has lead to many different mental care methods widely available over the internet. Some of these techniques may be difficult for beginners, and many of them require us to spend a lot of money and time. This might put some people off if they believe it’s too difficult to put into practice. On the other hand, all you need for the Positive Memory method are your good memories. You don’t need money or any special techniques. Moreover, it has been scientifically proven to reduce stress in just 14 seconds. It may be hard to come by another stress care method that is as easy and efficient and this one.

It may be difficult to conjure up good memories when we’re feeling strong frustrations and anxieties. To make things easier, keep a strong focus on the positive events that occur on a regular basis and keep a stock of good memories in mind.

・Write down your positive memories in a notebook or diary.
・Keep an item that has a positive memory attached to it, such as a photograph.

By practicing these things on a regular basis, you’ll remember the good memories more strongly and more quickly, even when you’re in a stressful state of mind.

Recall Good Memories for a Positive Mindset

The Positive Memory method allows you to alleviate negative emotions in a short amount of time, using nothing but your recollection of good memories. Give it a try whenever you feel stressed in your daily life.

Having a coping mechanism on hand, such as this Positive Memory method, keeps our mental health in check. This is just one of the many easy stress-care techniques you can try. Figure out what works for you and get into the habit of practicing. One of the keys to living a healthy and happy life is to properly cope with stress.

→ Looking to improve your mental health? Try the SELFMIND app FREE for 1 week!
If you’re looking for more tips on how to care for your mental health, check out some of our past blog posts!

Image：Unsplash
Reference：
Megan E. Speer，Mauricio R. Delgado
「Reminiscing about positive memories buffers acute stress responses」（Nat Hum Behav. 2017 May; 1(5): 0093）

The post Instant Ways to Relieve Stress – Recalling Positive Memories appeared first on SELF MIND.

Gratitude is associated with all sorts of positive emotions and we generally regard it as a good thing, but do you actually know how a “thank you” creates neurological change? Maybe you’ve already tried to cultivate daily habits of giving thanks because you heard it was a healthy habit. However, maybe it didn’t stick, or perhaps you just want to know more to better practice it. Either way, once you understand how the effects work, it may give you a better chance in making that permanent transformation you’ve been needing. Consequently, there is a lot of science on giving thanks and its promotion for better mental wellbeing. Below, I will explain the shifts created through neurological changes when we give thanks to others.

The Neuroscience that Cultivates Positivity

How does giving thanks work with our mental and physical wellbeing? In 2015, Indiana University conducted a study on how expressing gratitude alters neural activity in the brain for people with anxiety and depression. As a result, gratitude exercises activated neural pathways of the brain correlated to empathy. Furthermore, it had a significant impact on the neuromodulation of the medial prefrontal cortex area. ‘Neuromodulation’ is the alteration of cellular and synaptic properties of neurons that allow change in neurotransmissions. Unlike individual neurons, neuromodulators have the power to affect entire brain regions.

Giving thanks is considered a non-medical “anti-depressant” to some because it naturally affects our mood. The following parts of the brain have measurable changes when we switch into gratitude mode:

Giving Thanks Increases Dopamine & Serotonin

Dopamine is the feel-good neurochemical in our brain that makes us feel pleasure. Above all, it’s responsible for our feeling of happiness, optimism, motivation, focus, and alertness. On the other hand, serotonin is considered the harmonizing ‘mood stabilizer’ in our brain that regulates our anxiety and mood. For example, individuals with depression tend to lack in serotonin. An increase in both dopamine and serotonin, which are known as our ‘happy chemicals’, leads to happiness, better memory, and better sleep.  

Giving Thanks Activates the Prefrontal Cortex

Scientists have found that the medial prefrontal cortex is vital in feeling empathy towards others. In fact, this region of the brain is a processing hub that evaluates risk and rewards. Moreover, it connects to the deeper parts of our brain that produce kicks of pleasurable neurochemicals under the right circumstances. In addition, the ventral and medial regions of the prefrontal cortex abstractly represent the brain area that helps with social processing, complex reasoning, and how we represent ourselves. What’s more, several MRI studies show that continual practice in acts of gratitude activates this ventromedial prefrontal cortex. This part is known to function when we relieve pain, nurture empathy, show prosocial behaviors, and feel satisfaction in life.

Giving Thanks Activates the Hypothalamus

In studies, subjects who showed more gratitude overall had high activity in the hypothalamus. While the hypothalamus is a very small part of the brain in size, it controls essential bodily functions. For example, control in appetite, body temperature regulation, sleep cycles, hormones, and emotional response. It also influences our metabolism and stress levels. For instance, appreciative thoughts can trigger ‘good’ hormones and positively affect the immune system. High activity in the hypothalamus leads to many improvements in the physical benefits of giving thanks, such as better heart rate, blood pressure, and sleep.

Gratitude Builds Resilience to Stress & Pain

Gratitude can enhance the good in our lives, but what about the bad? Remarkably, giving thanks makes us more resilient to stress and pain, therefore helping us cope with difficulties in our life. This seems to be accompanied by the aforementioned neurological shift that occurs when our minds enter a positive state.

In addition, multiple studies indicate that giving thanks can help with mental wellbeing. For example, this includes decrease in suicidal thoughts, resilience to traumatic events, stronger coping strategies towards stress, protection from burnouts, and increase in self-esteem. Conscious practice in giving thanks can build a strong and healthy psychological mentality that can soften the hardship when it hits. In fact, life crises can also in-turn make us a more grateful person too. For example, try to remember the bad times, and how you endured and survived that situation. Then, compare that to where you are in life now. This can aid as a means to enhance your sense of gratitude and happiness. Therefore, looking at past negative memories from the perspective of growth and gratitude can help us through upcoming challenges in life.

Stronger Community Through Giving Thanks

As mentioned above, when our ventromedial prefrontal cortex is activated through giving thanks, altruism (the selfless concern for other people’s wellbeing over yourself), and empathy grow. Simply feeling grateful, empathetically understanding other perspectives, recognizing the beauty in social interactions, and giving more to people can naturally create better relationships. Data also suggest that expressing gratitude lights up our “mu-opioid” (a receptor that triggers our brain’s reward system), which is the same part that activates during close interpersonal touch and relief from pain. In other words, feeling grateful towards others creates a more relaxed, stress-free environment for us and the capacity to bond with others.

Research indicates giving thanks can also create positive influences on relationships. For example, some studies show that one’s grateful attitude towards a person directly correlates with the strength of the relationship and feeling of integration. In other words, the attitude of giving and focusing on others makes a person more desirable, and promotes socially inclusive behaviors. For the same reason, long-term relationships, both in friendship and partnership, expressed feeling more connected and satisfied with each other when an attitude of gratitude was present.

It Takes Time but has Lasting Effects

Yes, a simple act of giving thanks can make a significant impact on our happiness, wellbeing, resilience, and relationships. What’s more, we can even make this change a lasting one! A repeated focus on gratitude can alter how we experience the world, therefore creating a shift towards a more positive trajectory. In other words, the more you activate your feelings of gratitude, the stronger your neural pathways become. Ultimately, you will become a more positive person with a strengthened overall mental wellbeing.

Fitness and physical activity requires time and persistence to create a physical change. Similarly, lasting changes to our brain requires the continual exercise of gratitude. For example, a 2016 study, participants wrote a thank you letter each week for three weeks. Following this, the results were not immediately apparent. However, over time participants started to report significantly better mental health. Moreover, according to their MRI scans, the feeling lasted for up to 3 months after their writing exercise ended. Scientists mention this find was significant because most other positive activities have not had such lasting effects on mental wellbeing.

Practicing gratitude can help train our brain to be more sensitive to the experience of gratitude and eventually improve our overall mental wellbeing over time. 

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If you’re looking for more tips on how to care for your mental health, check out some of our past blog posts!

Image: Unsplash
Reference:

Algoe, S. B., Gable, S. L., & Maisel, N. C. (2010). It’s the little things: Everyday gratitude as a booster shot for romantic relationships. Personal Relationships, 17(2), 217–233. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-6811.2010.01273.x

Allen, S. (2018, May). The Science of Gratitude. Greater Good Magazine. https://ggsc.berkeley.edu/images/uploads/GGSC-JTF_White_Paper-Gratitude-FINAL.pdf

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Chowdhury, M. R. (2020, May 12). The Neuroscience of Gratitude and How It Affects Anxiety & Grief. Positive Psychology. https://positivepsychology.com/neuroscience-of-gratitude/

Emmons, R. (2013, May 13). How Gratitude Can Help You Through Hard Times. Greater Good Magazine. https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_gratitude_can_help_you_through_hard_times

Fox, G. (2017, August 4). What Can the Brain Reveal about Gratitude? Greater Good Magazine. https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/what_can_the_brain_reveal_about_gratitude

Fox, G. R., Kaplan, J., Damasio, H., & Damasio, A. (2015). Neural correlates of gratitude. Frontiers in Psychology, 6. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01491

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Karns, C. (2018a, November 21). When you’re grateful, your brain becomes more charitable. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/when-youre-grateful-your-brain-becomes-more-charitable-105606

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Do you know about “automatic thinking”?

“Let’s try to think positively!”
“Just stop having negative thoughts!”

These are some things many of us may frequently hear in daily life.
Being able to look at things in a positive light, or being optimistic about life in general – it’s much easier said than done.

Contrary to these words, some of us may remember all the things in our lives that didn’t work out, then think about everything negatively, assuming that it might not work out the next time either.

Feeling like you’ll fail at anything you do, or feeling inexplicably anxious everyday… These feelings are thought to stem from ‘automatic thoughts’. Is there a way to deal with this troubling pattern of thinking negatively?

What are “Automatic Thoughts”?

The concept of ‘automatic thinking’ is mainly used in cognitive behavioral therapy, which aims to modify negative thoughts and perceptions. It’s a reflexive thought that pops into your head whenever something happens. When this is habitual in a negative direction, it can be quite troublesome.

A strong sense of ‘past and present denial’ – being convinced that you’ve had only bad experiences – and a strong sense of ‘self-denial’ – being convinced that you are a bad person – can lead to depression and a lack of positive outlooks on oneself, believing that there will never be anything happy or enjoyable in the future.

Turning Automatic Thoughts More Positive

Even if a depressive thought pops into your head, recognizing it from a positive perspective makes it possible to minimize the negative impact.

There are two ways in which we think about and perceive things.
・Implicit cognition: Beliefs and ideas that have been gained through daily living
・Explicit cognition: A momentary reaction that pops into consciousness

Some people are able to always look at things through a positive lens. For example, as a general belief in life, they may think, “There is happiness in everyday life. I have many strong points, and my life has value”. As a momentary thought, they may think, “This is a difficult situation, but I can overcome it!”

Experts believe that the cyclic nature of negative thought patterns are the cause of depressive thinking. One unpleasant thought leads to another, and creates a repetition of negative self-evaluation. Being pessimistic about the future can cause you to feel like you’re unable to put a positive spin on anything. Moreover, when this belief of being unable to solve anything on your own continues, it can lead to a continuous desire to just run away.

On the other hand, if you’re able to continue looking at things from a positive pespective, they might gradually be able to counteract painful thoughts such as above. You might also be more likely to find a successful distraction, through the power of thought.

How Can We Fight Negative Automatic Thoughts?

So, what exactly does it take to make our automatic thinking more positive?
Below outlines one such example.

1. Look for experiences that have produced positive consequences. Think about what qualities in yourself they were derived from.

For example, let’s say you had the experience of a successful presentation. There are many possible reasons for the presentation to have succeeded. For example, “because I worked diligently”, “because I was able to focus in a limited amount of time”, “because of my high presentation skills”, and so on. One or two of those factors, and possibly more, would have intertwined to create this success.

2-1. Think about the positive elements that can counteract your negative thoughts.

For example, let’s say you made a huge mistake at an important sports event.
In that moment you might have some negative thoughs. For example, “I’m the type of person who fails in important situations.”
However, as a result of the failure, you might practice a lot more and ultimately excel at the sport. You might also find that many people around you were comforting and encouraging towards you.

2-2. Think about how these positive memories affect you now.

Let’s think about the continuation of 2-1.
If you were ultimately able to “practice a lot more” as a result, you can look at your own persistence. This becomes proof that you are a person who is able to continue working hard, not intimidated by failure. If the people around you “comforted and encouraged” you, you might be the type of person who receives support from many people.

By repeating the above method over and over again, positive thoughts will start to interrupt the negative thought patterns. Subsequently, this allows for more and more of these positive thoughts to come to mind as time goes on. As the link between negative thoughts that accelerate depression is severed, the less likely your automatic thoughts will turn negative.

You might often hear that positive thinking is the key, but if you find this difficult to actualize, give this method a try.

Automatic thoughts are tricky, but they can be very reliable if you have them on your side. Let’s keep our daily thoughts bright, for a brighter daily life!

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If you’re looking for more tips on how to care for your mental health, check out some of our past blog posts!

Image：Unsplash

Source:
The Relationship Among Irrational Beliefs, Automatic Thoughts and Depressive/Anxious Mood (Fukui, Itaru & Sakano, Yuji. Human Welfare Studies (3), 1-12, 2000.)

Mediating Effects of Automatic Thoughts in Facilitating and Reducing Depression (Yoshida, Toshiyuki & Nakamura, Tomoyasu. the Japanese Journal of Educational Psychology. 55(3), 313-324, 2007-09)

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