How so I change my thinking from negative to positive?
Chronically pessimistic people can change their outlook and think more positively by using a few simple techniques. Watch as psychiatrist Sudeepta Varma, MD, explains how you can change negative thinking to positive by changing your perception.
Transcript
Can you say to yourself, you know what? Actually, I'm pretty prepared for the task. I've done everything I can. And what's the worst that would happen?
OK. So I fail it. Does that mean that I'm a failure in life? No, it means I fail the test. [MUSIC PLAYING]
So when people are chronically pessimistic, they can change their ways of thinking by, A, realizing are there certain kind of distortions in the way
that they're viewing things. So the way that I like to ask them is three simple things-- A, what would you tell a friend who's in the same situation?
So if you're looking at something very negatively, can you separate emotion from fact? Can you step back a little bit? The second thing I would say is, can you
do a cost benefit analysis? But what is the cost of thinking this way? Some people may say, well, my negative thinking is getting me to be depressed.
I feel hopeless. I feel helpless. I stay up at night. Well, what's the-- what's the benefit of thinking this way? Actually, there isn't much of a benefit.
And I would be happier and I would sleep better if I wasn't feeling so weighed down by my negative thoughts. And the last thing I would say is, can you form
an alternative perspective? So how can you reframe the story? So if you have a big test coming up, and you're certain that you're going to fail,
can you look at it differently? Can you say to yourself, you know what? Actually, I'm pretty prepared for the task. I've done everything I can. And what's the words that would happen?
OK, so I fail it. Does that mean that I'm a failure in life? No, it means I fail the test. So I could probably take the test over again.
So these three simple techniques, even though they may seem as if I'm simplifying your entire way of thinking.
If you were to practice it on a daily basis, you will most likely have positive results. And if you remind yourself that it's your thinking
and it's the distortions in the way that you're perceiving it, that's affecting the way that you're acting and not necessarily the reality itself.
mental health behavior
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