Every time you find yourself saying out loud or thinking to yourself, "I hate X," instead figure out its opposite, Y, and say "I love Y" instead.
In the traffic jam, say, "I love driving freely." When you're buried under busywork, say, "I love meaningful tasks." When your boss is a jerk to you, say, "I love compassionate people."
Sometimes it's easier to find your way out of a pit if you focus less on the pit and more on where the ladder is.
@mishellbaker I learned quite a while back that the words we use define how we think. I never applied that in the way you suggested. This is great advice, thank you
@mishellbaker interesting bit of psychology. I try to do things like this. It's tough. I'm never about about toxic positivity but so much depression comes from our brain's bias favoring the easy negative reaction, and from exaggerated/all or nothing thinking. After dealing with my own depression for 30 years this year, even better than putting up the "stop" sign for negative thoughts is accepting them, letting them pass, or even better, changing them like this. The carousel going around - I remind myself I felt better before and will feel better again, that kind of stuff. Depression is great at telling us we ALWAYS feel that way ALL the time.
@jake4480@mishellbaker The trouble I find is that when the depression switch goes to “on”, every positive thought quickly turns negative. Antidepressants are working currently, though, I’m pleased to say and for me that switch is in “off” position much of the time. Such CBT techniques then help keep it that way.
@AV_chess@mishellbaker absolutely. When negativity brain starts, it takes over and persists. I still have HORRIBLE days. You can only be as ready as you can. Even practice isn't perfect. What a struggle, eh
Add comment