Negative Automatic Thoughts: Learning to Catch the Story
The mind produces thoughts the way the body produces breath. Constant. Automatic. Often outside our awareness. Most of the time, those thoughts are neutral or useful. But when fear or shame gets involved, they can turn harsh. We start believing the inner commentary that says I’m failing, I should have known better, something is wrong with me.
Negative automatic thoughts do not always arrive as statements. Sometimes they come in the form of questions. What if this never gets better? Why did I say that? What does this mean about me? They feel curious or reasonable, but they carry the same emotional weight and the same quiet assumptions.
These thoughts sound factual because they have been rehearsed for years. They arrive quickly, often before we notice we are thinking at all. The work is not to stop them or argue with them, but to recognize them as stories the mind tells under stress. Once you can see the story, you have more choice about whether to follow it.
If you want to explore this more deeply, these posts take the work further:
Battling Negative Automatic Thoughts
Prompts to Untangle Core Beliefs
Are you interested in working on your personal development? Are you looking for a life coach or a life consultant? Are you feeling stagnant? Do you want to jumpstart change?
My transformational approach is a process where awareness, alignment, and action work together as catalysts to create momentum for change.
*Awareness is knowing what you genuinely want and need.
*Alignment is the symmetry between our values and our actions. It means our inner and outer worlds match.
*Action is when you are conscious that what you say, do and think are in harmony with your values.
Together we build an understanding of what you want to accomplish, and delve deeply into building awareness around any thoughts and assumptions that you may already have. To truly transform your life, I will empower you to rethink what’s possible for you.
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