Have you ever thought about your thoughts? Do you ever judge your thoughts? Did you know that when we place judgments on our thoughts, we are causing extra stress in our life? So we have our thoughts creating extra stress on top of the already experienced stress. Negative thoughts about our thoughts are harmful.
Think about it. How often have we encountered a police officer on a traffic stop. It is a distressing event. One that can cause your heart to race. Your palms start to sweat. Shallow breathing starts. You receive the ticket. What is your next thought? "How could I have been so stupid" comes to mind. What is the benefit of this thought? How does the thought assist you in life? This thought serves to do more harm than good. Asking questions like, what could I have done different to avoid the ticket, might help. Thinking about leaving your home earlier to avoid speeding would help. Telling yourself how stupid you are, doesn't help. It only serves to harm your self-esteem.
Negative self-thought can cause an increase in cortisol, the stress hormone. Negative thoughts can increase blood pressure, increase anxiety and lower self-esteem. A large number of depressed individuals report an increase in negative self-thought.
The following steps can assist you in decreasing your negative self-thoughts.
- Examine the evidence behind the thought. Do I believe I am stupid, or was I just rushed for time, so I went too fast?
- Assess if you would allow someone else to talk to a loved one the same way you are talking to yourself.
- Realize all thoughts are not accurate reflections of truth.
- Forgive yourself for making a mistake. Life is too short to continue in this pattern.
Apply these steps to your negative thoughts and see if your attitude doesn't change.