What was I thinking??? Squashing your ANTS (Automatic Negative Thoughts)
“I’ll never get this done!”
“I always make mistakes.”
“What if I lose my job?!?”
Words like never, always and the “what ifs” often fill our thoughts. We’re thinking beings and we tend to lean towards the negative when it comes to our thoughts. And, since we’re always thinking (I know my mind never stops unless I make a conscious effort) we have automatic negative thoughts (ANTS)all the time. To make it more difficult, these automatic thoughts are unrelenting. And they often fly through our minds completely unchecked.
So how do we stop these thoughts? Unless you’re a fully enlightened Buddhist monk, you’re not likely to. But you CAN start to notice them, change them, and lessen their control over you.
Here are some questions you can ask yourself in identifying negative automatic thoughts (adapted from Mind Over Mood by Dennis Greenberger, Ph.D. And Christine Padesky, Ph.D.). I recommend getting your journal out and writing your thoughts down.
1. What was I thinking about just before I started feeling this way?
2. Are there any images or memories that may have prompted this thought?
3. What does this mean about me and my life?
4. What am I afraid might happen?
5. What is the worst outcome?
6. What will other people think about me?
Of course, you don’t need to answer all of those questions, but when you have a particularly nasty thought, it can help you sort it out if you challenge your ANTS.
To help understand your thoughts and develop some objectivity towards, I’d like to share an adaptation of the Three Minute Breathing Space from the Mindful Based Cognitive Therapy Program (MBCT). I also call it a Three Minute Mind Reset Breathing Practice but you can make it as long as you want.
Minute One:
To get started, find a comfortable seat, lie down on the floor or your bed, or even stand up tall if you want to feel more alert. Feel your feet planted firmly on the floor or notice your back as it meets the ground. As you get comfortable, start noticing your posture and become aware of all your body sensations. And then allow your eyes to close, or lower your gaze to go within.
Notice your thoughts, and feelings along with your body sensations. As much as possible, acknowledge your thoughts and turn towards uncomfortable feelings. Maybe you need to do a short body scan to notice what’s going on inside your body.
Minute Two:
Once you’ve connected with your thoughts, feelings and bodily sensations, it’s time to redirect your attention to your breath. Begin to notice your breath coming in through your nose and out through your nose. Notice the sensations as it flows into your body and perhaps notice your stomach moving in and out. Let the breath keep you in the present moment.
Minute Three:
Now it’s time to expand your awareness so that in addition to feeling the breath moving in and out through your body you begin to notice your entire body and all it’s sensations. Pay special attention to any tension you may be feeling, including your facial expression, and notice how that feels. If anything feels uncomfortable, then try breathing into it, letting go on each out breath. And say to yourself “Whatever I’m feeling, it’s already here, just let me feel it.”
When you’re ready, slowly open your eyes and re-orient yourself to your surroundings. See if you can take this greater sense of openness and and expansion back into your daily life.
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To make this practice even more powerful, you may want to make yourself a cup of tea (or a cappuccino!), grab your journal, find a cozy place to sit, and write down your thoughts and feelings in this moment.
References:
I highly recommend this book for practical exercises in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT): Mind Over Mood by Dennis Greenberger, Ph.D. And Christine Padesky, Ph.D.).
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You can find out more about Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) at www.mbct.org.
I’d love to know how this practice worked for you. Please email me at sharon@sharonashtonmindfulyoga.com to let me know.
Also, please visit my website to download another FREE guided meditation as well as your FREE Build Your Resilience Toolkit.
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