The human brain processes an enormous amount of thoughts every day, every hour and every minute. Some of these are conscious thoughts, and others are automatic or unconscious; that is, they emerge into consciousness involuntarily. Among the seconds some are destructive thoughts , which affect our personal life much more than we can ever imagine. A destructive thought acquires such a category when it is given too much importance that it can end up becoming a bad habit.

To visualize the problem, let’s imagine that we have a negative thought from the first moment we open our eyes. If when we wake up we have in mind “how bad my day is going to be” for some reason and, we repeat it to ourselves all day long, what will be the result? It is supine evidence that nothing will go right. This will lead to a general malaise: apathy, tiredness, anger or sadness. The crux of the matter lies in the unconsciousness of these thoughts but, in addition, one must take into account how complicated it is to eliminate these mental images.

The 4 most common destructive thoughts

Below are the 4 most common destructive thoughts.

1. Demand

It is one of the great variables of negative thinking. Modern society requires atrocious competition , human values based on professional achievements. When we resort to the “I must” or “I have to”, ignoring the consequences, it is when stress, anxiety and worry are installed in our nervous system. We have to give way to the “I want to” or “I can”. Everyone should be aware of their own possibilities and capabilities.

2. Generalization

Having a destructive view of the reality around us is another of the great dilemmas. When we focus our thoughts on statements such as “how bad things are for me” or “I never do anything right”, we tend to falsely generalize about the bad things in any step we take . We have to delve into the positive points of our day-to-day life.

3. Labels

When we label ourselves, we end up believing that we are one way or another. “I’m not good at this or that,” “I’m a bum.” The repetition of these statements internalizes our way of projecting our personality. Besides, even if others tell us, we have to avoid paying attention to it. It is extremely important to love oneself and to make oneself count in order to be happy.

4. Catastrophism

Many people suffer from chronic negative thoughts from the time they wake up until they go to sleep. Ideas and beliefs such as “I’m not going to get away with it” or “I’m unlucky” only make the situation worse. It’s not a question of putting a good face on bad weather, but of trying to minimize the damage and, especially, not to get ahead of ourselves by creating new problems where they don’t exist. Premature concern makes good personal development impossible.

The 5 Keys to Ending Negative Thinking

Very often we humans recognize the problem we have or the mental blocks we suffer from, but even more often we do not know how to deal with them. In the following lines we will review the five most precious tips to fight destructive thoughts.

1. Healthy environment

All individuals are born, grow up and take root in a certain family and social environment. The characteristics of these individuals can determine in a transcendental way our way of seeing things. If we form part of a family fabric, friends or groups where a bad environment reigns, it will be very difficult to get out of the loop . Breaking these bonds will be the first step to overcome negative dynamics.

2. Accepting daily difficulties

In our childhood and as our youth progresses into adulthood, we always have the perception that everything goes uphill. It is nothing more than that, a false perception, since in the first years of life, in most cases, we don’t try so hard to achieve what makes us happy. However, as we get older, we have to take on those responsibilities and unforeseen difficulties. Dealing with these situations by using the right strategies helps prevent destructive thoughts.

3. Avoiding envy

It’s one of the big problems with negative feelings. Wanting what others have, whether material or immaterial goods, is a clear sign of envy, which leads to insecurity and frustration . We must avoid the kind of beliefs that lead to it, be more grateful in life and, above all, be realistic and know that there will always be someone above us in some quality.

4. Recognize our weaknesses

As is often the case in all aspects of life, the first step in solving a problem is to identify the weakness in us that it exposes. In this case, society “forces” us to hide this characteristic. Social sanctions are very pronounced when we expose these weaknesses, but we must know how to face these situations in order to improve and not fall into self-humiliation. Self-esteem is fundamental in this aspect , we can recognize the failure and still combat negativity.

5. Avoiding hypercontrol

From childhood we are educated to have everything under control, and little or no effort is made to deal with the unexpected. That is why, very often, our mental scheme overflows so easily in the face of any anomaly. Even a situation beyond our control, such as the weather, often frustrates us to the point of having a bad day. This does not mean that we should try to restrict our ability to feel anger, it simply means that it should last for as short a time as possible and be experienced constructively.