To move towards success, you should change your thinking to a more positive one and try to eliminate the negative. Humanity has developed spiritual patterns for prosperity. Many lessons on . In the thoughts, intentions and desires of people there are power resources for implementation. But after a while, both positive and negative plans can come true. Having learned to distinguish between them, as well as to introduce positive notes and colors, you can change not only yourself, but also the surrounding reality with the idea: change your thinking and you will change your life.
Positive thinking is success in life!
Complaining about a difficult life aggravates the situation, which in many cases leads to its deterioration. Moreover, circumstances will become more complicated to such an extent that it will be impossible to find a way out of it. Let's look at how to attract success by changing your thinking to a positive one and turning your life for the better.
Characteristics of a person with positive thinking
How to think positively? Some individuals see only good in everything that surrounds them. Such a person who thinks positively has the following characteristics.
- Looks for advantages in everything.
- Interested in new information as an additional opportunity.
- Improves life, creates plans and ideas, works a lot.
- neutral or good.
- Observes successful ones in order to take into account their experience.
- Calmly regards achievements and considers why this is possible.
- Has generosity in emotional and material terms.
How ? It should be concluded that successes arise as a result of the hard work of people with positive thinking.
Negative thinking methods and how to avoid them
There are several ways of thinking that lead to bad results. But options have also been developed with which it is possible to avoid and get out of a difficult situation. The principle is to change your usual way of thinking, perceiving life within yourself. Without this, it is impossible to achieve success, and subsequently independence. You can make the following list of situations and how to turn your life to the positive.
- Getting used to adhering to clear boundaries, a person does not think about whether this makes sense. It should be realized that in addition to the established rules, there are a great many possibilities and options for action. When building your thinking and life, you need to try to make decisions on your own, which is often much more pleasant than following advice. At the same time, the ability to do right choice doesn't come right away. With many daily situations requiring decision making, it is necessary to consider next questions: a) What will be the consequences? b) Will this lead to the satisfaction of the person himself and his environment?
- If the answers to both questions are affirmative, it is quite possible to do given choice. This way we will gain a small amount of independence, as well as the awareness of our independence and the absence of anyone else's pressure.
- Changing your mindset to achieve success includes the rule: you should not try to look for problems where there are none. Some out of the blue instead of simply resolving the situation. A lot of negative emotions appear, which affects the rest of the day. Sometimes a person creates a bad condition for himself
- How to change your attitude towards life? Chinese wisdom advises not to focus on problems that cannot be solved. And if it’s still possible, then there’s absolutely nothing to worry about. The way out of such a situation is to avoid the conflict and refrain from stupid actions associated with it. Another method to improve your life is to not be the source of such quarrels.
- The absence of fears associated with change helps you achieve success quickly. New way you can start with a small step. According to Mark Twain, after 2 decades, people regret more about what they didn’t do than about their actions.
- Change your thinking, but how? Its scope should be expanded. Positive thoughts: if in today there are problems, tomorrow everything can change.
- How to change your lifestyle? There is no need to stop learning, as new knowledge opens up opportunities to achieve goals and makes the process more efficient.
- How to think positively? It is necessary to eliminate bad qualities in yourself such as envy. If you learn to look positively at other people's successes, they will be perceived as a motivating stimulus. Using other people's accomplishments as role models can help you avoid judgment that leads to problems. And also change lives.
- The process of brain functioning and the reproduction of thoughts takes quite a lot of time. The more often we resort to it, the more obstacles appear. You can try to choose one of the options rather than endlessly go through and invent situations. You need to change your mind: think less, instead take decisive action. A person must control his thoughts, and not vice versa.
When taking steps that will change your thinking to a positive one, we start with the same thought. By controlling emotions, you should protect not only yourself, but also your neighbors from negativity. And also not to enter into conflicts (not to be their initiator). Changes will occur not only with thinking, but also with consciousness. And then it will become clear from the surrounding world that life has changed.
Changing thinking
Often our way of thinking is stereotypical, and bias can make a person a failure. When you change your thinking, life becomes completely different. By perceiving internal (subjective) reality, the world of our ordinary thoughts, we distort external world. It turns out to be illusory or invented. At the same time, emotions and feelings are distorted. This makes a person inappropriate or even unhappy, which can lead to failures in the areas of life and activity. How to change your attitude towards life?
Using the method of changing thinking, we come from irrational to rational perception, using the technique of objective refutation. This ensures a self-sufficient life. In the question of how to think positively, you can also use the technology of emotional experience. But the first method is more suitable for people who want to avoid. Following the adoption of a different way of thinking, life can change.
For the same purpose, there is a method of alternative interpretation that changes “automatic” thoughts. To change his life, a person applies a method according to the following principles.
- Priority allows you to pay more attention to first impressions of events. This perception is not always the best, since people often behave impulsively and follow their intuition. As a result, late assessments lead poorly to objectivity, which is not entirely consistent with the circumstances. People are being misled. How to change yourself? We conclude that it is necessary to refrain from hasty assessments. It is necessary to obtain more information for an accurate perception.
- How to change your lifestyle? While working on your thoughts on your own, you can try to write down unpleasant emotions throughout the week. It is also necessary to note the event that activates them, and the first thought about it. Over the next week, as you continue to take notes, you need to come up with a number of interpretations—alternatives for the situations. Continuing to act In a similar way, we replace irrational thinking with objective thinking. Within a month, you can learn to think like this automatically and rebuild your lifestyle for the better.
How to improve your life
It is quite possible to learn to perceive different reality, and not just its black and white colors. Ambivalent thinking does not correspond to the division between “good” and “bad.” Once you have made your choice, you can confirm your decision without thinking about it further. But gray (or ambivalent) thinking differs from black and white in that a person is able to accept the opponent’s position. This way of perception reduces the degree of determination, but brings benefits in the form of wisdom. And you can not only change your life, but remember yourself in childhood, when you already used this method.
How does the world turn black and white?
A person’s views become rigid, as “frameworks” are imposed from the outside. For example, is higher education beneficial for us or is it just a waste of time. Strong beliefs do not allow you to find multiple answers to a question. Although it is clear that the world is not so simple as to be divided into “bad” and “good”. It's not good to make hasty decisions, but it's also bad to take forever to make choices. Wisdom allows you to look at a problem from a variety of perspectives.
How to learn to think ambivalently?
It's hard to change the way you think, especially if you like radical judgments. But attempts will teach you to take a comprehensive approach to problems, which will help eliminate hasty assessments. There are a number of rules for thinking positively in order to change your destiny.
- You should abandon strict judgments. For example, don't pronounce them. By refraining from dividing into “bad” and “good”, one can understand that the world cannot limit itself to these two categories.
- If you take the perspective of an event, it will be possible to assess its significance.
- You need to accept that a person can make mistakes. By feeling yourself in your opponent’s shoes, you can realize that his point of view is the correct one.
- Having become accustomed to the fact that the true solution is not unambiguous, a person learns to accept a different opinion and see the problem comprehensively.
To change your life, as well as thinking about ambivalence at least at the level of the first step, you need to pay attention to how the child perceives the world.
If you are inclined to negative thinking, you may feel that this is an innate quality that guides you throughout your life. It is this faulty behavior that drags many people down as they allow negative thoughts to ruin their mood.
In reality, negative thinking is a habit that can be challenged and changed through knowledge, strategies and behavior. Once we understand the root of our negativity and change the way we perceive the situation, we can develop a more positive outlook that will provide enormous benefits in our personal and professional lives.
6 Ways You Can Change Negative Thinking
So here are six simple and effective ways that will help you stop negative thinking and develop more positive behavioral habits.
Develop a proper sleep cycle for yourself
Negative thinking is a symptom of depression, and it is often made worse by lack of sleep or irregular sleep cycles. The connection between negativity, depression and sleep disturbances has been studied in many studies. For example, in 2005, American researchers found that patients with depression or anxiety tended to sleep less than six hours each night.
To negate your negativity, make sure you get plenty of rest. You should definitely develop a healthy and consistent sleep cycle for yourself. This will help you achieve eight hours of sleep every day, thereby creating a routine that helps you get up for work every morning.
Write down your negative thoughts
The problem with negative thoughts is that they are usually unformed and ambiguous in our minds. This means that they are difficult to identify or eliminate using verbal thinking. They can also hide the true source of our fear, so it is very important to process them and understand their meaning.
The best way to do this is to write down negative thoughts in a journal, translating them into words and giving them physical meaning. Start writing them down quickly and casually, focusing on expressing yourself rather than getting the sentence right. Once you have them down on paper, begin to identify their specific meaning or general themes. 
This process can also help you develop the habit of expressing yourself in an open manner, which will make it easier to manage relationships and solve interpersonal problems.
Stop going to extremes
Life is far from black and white, and many people with a rational mindset take this into account in their daily thinking process. But the same cannot be said about those people who are prone to negativity. They tend to go to extremes and imagine the worst situation when faced with a problem.
Unfortunately, this makes it difficult to grasp the subtle nuances of life and take into account the positive aspects that can be seen in any situation. 
With this in mind, you don't have to change your extremely negative thinking style to a completely positive one. Instead, consider the various positive and negative possibilities that exist in any life situation and create a list to guide your thought processes. This will allow your brain to instantly look for alternatives in the event of extreme negativity, without forcing you to suddenly change your way of thinking.
Act on facts, not assumptions
Negative thinking makes you unable to cope with any kind of uncertainty. Therefore, when you find yourself in a stressful or unfamiliar situation that has a potentially negative outcome, you begin to second-guess events and try to solve the problem without taking into account any relevant facts. This can be described as mind reading, which is likely to contribute to further negativity. 
This problem can be easily solved by changing behavior. The first step is to gather the facts and details surrounding the situation and use them to make an informed decision. You should start with the scenario and list all the logical explanations in order of importance. Use pen and paper or verbal reflection. For example, if your friend did not respond to a message instantly, there could be many reasons for this. His battery might be low, he might have a meeting at work, or his phone might be on silent and the message simply wasn't read.
By listing these realistic explanations, you can avoid the temptation to identify negative outcomes and react impulsively. Over time, experience will also teach you that logical and reasonable explanations are always more likely than the worst-case scenarios that appear in your head. 
Pay attention to the positive and embrace it
One of the main problems with negative thinking is that it is with you all the time, even when the situation has a positive outcome. This may minimize the positive outcome and the impact it has on you, or it may prevent you from seeing the positive in your life.
Let's assume that you received a salary increase, but it is slightly lower than some of your colleagues. Instead of focusing solely on that one negative thing, it's much better to think about what exactly you got. It is also important to recognize the fact that some employees received an increase even less than yours, or have nothing. This way of thinking brings perspective to any situation and allows facts to counteract negative thoughts. 
The key here is perception, that you see negative events as temporary and specific rather than permanent and all-encompassing. Learn to balance your negative thoughts with contrasting positive ones. This will allow you to get into the habit of seeing things in perspective much more often.
Think through all the circumstances again and look for the positive
There are situations in which both positive and negative effects can be clearly identified. But there are others that can be instantly perceived as negative. This is the worst nightmare for those who tend to think negatively, as they are faced with a situation that feeds their pessimistic mindset and does not offer an immediate way out. 
Let's say you're at the airport and your flight is delayed. This is a negative scenario, causing you to panic and consider the opportunities you might miss because of it.
You can solve this situation if you start actively looking for the positive. It is important to revisit the current situation and reframe the perceived problem as a potential opportunity. So, instead of focusing on what you might miss, why not list other things you can accomplish while waiting for your flight? You might, for example, finish important work or enjoy a sudden break. This will distract you from negative thoughts as you look for the positive and optimize your time. 
Conclusion
Negative thinking has a negative impact on every aspect of our lives. With the help of these little secrets, you can finally move the needle and begin to see the world around you in a color other than gray and black.
Today we will talk about the 7 most destructive ways of thinking, or rather, we will give advice on how to avoid negativity and bring more joy into life. We will also consider options for exiting the current situation, learn to change our vision of the world and life in general. In this article I used own experience, the experience of my friends and good acquaintances, our real actions and actions that helped radically change our thoughts and establish a successful life. It is important to understand that it is not possible to achieve success, to become a wealthy and independent person, without developing spiritually, without changing yourself, your thoughts and desires.
Many of us are driven into clear and completely meaningless frameworks. We are told what we can do and what not, how we should think and what is wrong, how to act in a certain situation, and even how to think. But it is important to understand that life is millions of opportunities, millions of options for building your life. No one has the right to dictate rules to you, to indicate what you should do today, tomorrow or in a year. Learn to make decisions on your own, because you are the architect of your own happiness. Believe me, a decision made on your own, meaningful and deliberate, will be ten times more pleasant and useful than any imposed advice.
Learning to make the right choice is not an easy task, but it is quite surmountable for each of you. Every day we face dozens of problems and situations, and to solve them we must make a certain choice. Whenever you decide to make a choice, ask yourself a few simple questions: “What consequences will come as a result of my choice?”, “Will this choice bring joy, satisfaction and happiness to me and those it affects?” And as soon as I received two affirmative answers “yes” to these questions, you can confidently make your choice.
What is it for?
The right to choose was given to us by nature. Man is a free being who must decide for himself who, how and why he should be. Doing it yourself and conscious choice– we bring into our lives a piece of freedom and independence, happiness and joy for being able to choose life path independently, without any pressure from outside.
Many people have a very negative character trait. Either they lack adrenaline, or their vision of the world has already become so distorted that if nothing bad happened during the day, then we become wary. Previously, I repeatedly caught myself thinking that I was constantly looking for a problem where, in principle, there shouldn’t be one, trying to start a conflict out of the blue, instead of peacefully and quickly resolving the situation, often swearing, stirring up a scandal and a storm of negative emotions. It is clear that each such situation leaves its mark, makes an imprint on the rest of the day. Then you walk around, replay the past in your head, and argue with yourself. What positive things are we talking about here? A terrible state that many create for themselves.
Now, when the worldview and vision of everything that is happening has begun to change, I often remember the Chinese wisdom: “If you cannot solve a problem, then you should not focus on it, and if you can, then don’t worry.”
How to deal with such a situation?
Personally, I have used many methods. If I saw that a conflict was brewing, that they were exaggerating the problem out of the blue, then I tried not to be a participant, I simply correctly diverted the conversation to the side or ignored the conversation.
If I felt that I was starting to inflate the problem, I asked myself the question: “What will this change? Who will benefit from a spoiled mood? The understanding that nothing good would come from a quarrel, that the mood and desire to do something would disappear for half a day, stopped me from doing stupid things.
There is another very interesting and instructive proverb: “When you argue with an idiot, are you sure that he is not doing the same thing?” Believe that in an emotional argument or quarrel you will not prove anything. Everyone has their own ego and it is not going to give one iota. The best solution is to save your nerves and protect yourself from negativity.
Tip #2 is that you shouldn't be conflicted person, should not create and maintain a quarrel, perceive everything as it is, while approaching everything with understanding and positivity.
Another tip that will help you achieve success faster is that you should not be afraid of changes and changes in your life. own life. As they say, a long journey begins with a small step, and if you are afraid to take this step, then it will be impossible to change anything.
You often hear: “I want to change my life, earn more, travel and develop, but at the same time I’m afraid to leave my job, because then I will lose stability and income.” This kind of thinking drags you down into a quagmire of uncertainty and fear, and the longer you feed on such a thought, the more difficult it will be to get out of such a swamp. If you decide to do something, decide to change your life, then don’t be afraid to give up everything, start life with clean slate, turn the page of history and confidently, with big steps, enter a new life.
I once read a brilliant statement by Mark Twain, which was very strongly engraved in my memory: “In 20 years, you will regret more the things you didn’t do than the things you did do. Therefore, raise the anchors and sail away from the quiet harbor. Catch the fair wind in your sails. Use it. Dream. Make discoveries."
I realized that everything is in our hands, that we really shouldn’t be afraid to leave our comfort zone, we need to be confident in what we are doing and what we are striving for
Another piece of advice that will bring great positivity into your life and give you many joyful moments is that you should learn to think more broadly. I used to think that what I feel at the moment, what I have, and what I know is something that has become something that will not change in the near future. But there is no limit to delusions. What you have now, thoughts, feelings, material and spiritual world, exists only now. It’s hard to even say what will happen in a day, week, month, not to mention years. Everything in the world is changing, and so are you. Therefore, understand one truth: if something goes wrong today, then tomorrow everything can change dramatically, and be a hundred times better and more successful. Comfort yourself with this thought, bring joy, hope and positivity into your life.
Often, when they tell us something, share knowledge or useful information, we say that we know this, there is no need to listen to this and waste our time. I used to be like that too, I thought that I had already seen so much, that I had read enough books, that I could tell myself whatever you wanted.
But there is no need to build such barriers. Back in ancient Greece, Socrates said: “The more I know, the more I realize that I know nothing.”
Be open to new knowledge, joyfully accept it, get help from other people. Remember that new knowledge is new opportunities that you must use to achieve your goal as effectively as possible.
Envy is a terrible character quality that eats you away from the inside. She is like a little devil who sits on your shoulder and whispers all sorts of nasty things into your ear. The more you envy, the more negativity comes into your life. Learn to perceive the successes of others differently, as an incentive, as a goal, as an example to follow. Stop judging and envying. Even if you know that a person has achieved something through dishonest methods, you should not focus your attention on this. Believe me, the fact that you envy, complain, and condemn will only be worse for you, and not for the person in whose direction you are directing the negativity.
How to deal with envy?
Envy comes from the ego. It is not satisfied with what you have, it wants more, while comparing you with someone else. Stop it. The only person you can compare with is with yourself in the past. Look at what you have achieved, what you have learned, thank you for all the experience and opportunities that have come into your life. Remember that you create your own life, build the path to success, and the very first brick is positive thinking.
At first this may seem like strange, even absurd advice. What is it like to think less? This phrase should not be taken literally. I also used to think a lot, analyze, calculate, try to write down all the steps, predict the consequences. This all took a lot of time. The more we think, the more different obstacles appear in our heads. The question arises: “What will happen if I choose this option?”, and instead of taking it and trying it, we begin to build schemes in our heads, come up with various situations, most of which incredibly frighten us and stop us from taking decisive action.
How to deal with this?
It is important to realize that you control your thoughts, and they do not control you. Try to think less, especially where you can get everything done in a few minutes. Be decisive and confident in your actions. It’s better to do it once and be convinced of your conjectures than to spend months wondering how everything will turn out.
Positive thinking as a path to success: my personal conclusions
So, I have already said more than once in the article that everything starts with a thought, and it must be positive. Learn to control your emotions, try to protect yourself and all your loved ones from negativity, do not create conflicts and do not be participants in them. Believe me, when you begin to change your thinking, your consciousness will change along with it, and then the whole world around you. Many people don’t believe it until they try it, and then they say with an open mind that positive thinking works wonders.
To move towards success, you should change your thinking to a more positive one and try to eliminate the negative. Humanity has developed spiritual patterns for prosperity. Many lessons are based on this fact. In the thoughts, intentions and desires of people there are power resources for implementation. But after a while, both positive and negative plans can come true. Having learned to distinguish between them, as well as to introduce positive notes and colors, you can change not only yourself, but also the surrounding reality with the idea: change your thinking and you will change your life.
Positive thinking is success in life!
Complaining about a difficult life aggravates the situation, which in many cases leads to its deterioration. Moreover, circumstances will become more complicated to such an extent that it will be impossible to find a way out of it. Let's look at how to attract success by changing your thinking to a positive one and turning your life for the better.
Characteristics of a person with positive thinking
How to think positively? Some individuals see only good in everything that surrounds them. Such a person who thinks positively has the following characteristics.
- Looks for advantages in everything.
- Interested in new information as an additional opportunity.
- Improves life, creates plans and ideas, works a lot.
- neutral or good.
- Observes successful ones in order to take into account their experience.
- Calmly regards achievements and considers why this is possible.
- Has generosity in emotional and material terms.
How? It should be concluded that successes arise as a result of the hard work of people with positive thinking.
Negative thinking methods and how to avoid them
There are several ways of thinking that lead to bad results. But options have also been developed with which it is possible to avoid and get out of a difficult situation. The principle is to change your usual way of thinking, perceiving life within yourself. Without this, it is impossible to achieve success, and subsequently independence. You can make the following list of situations and how to turn your life to the positive.
- Getting used to adhering to clear boundaries, a person does not think about whether this makes sense. It should be realized that in addition to the established rules, there are a great many possibilities and options for action. When building your thinking and life, you need to try to make decisions on your own, which is often much more pleasant than following advice. At the same time, the ability to make the right choice does not come immediately. Given the many daily situations that require decision making, the following questions need to be considered: a) What will be the consequences? b) Will this lead to the satisfaction of the person himself and his environment?
- If the answers to both questions are affirmative, it is quite possible to make this choice. This way we will gain a small amount of independence, as well as the awareness of our independence and the absence of anyone else's pressure.
- Changing your mindset to achieve success includes the rule: you should not try to look for problems where there are none. Some out of the blue instead of simply resolving the situation. A lot of negative emotions appear, which affects the rest of the day. Sometimes a person creates a bad condition for himself
- How to change your attitude towards life? Chinese wisdom advises not to focus on problems that cannot be solved. And if it’s still possible, then there’s absolutely nothing to worry about. The way out of such a situation is to avoid the conflict and refrain from stupid actions associated with it. Another method to improve your life is to not be the source of such quarrels.
- The absence of fears associated with change helps you achieve success quickly. A new path can be started with a small step. According to Mark Twain, after 2 decades, people regret more about what they didn’t do than about their actions.
- Change your thinking, but how? Its scope should be expanded. Positive thoughts: If there are problems today, everything can change tomorrow.
- How to change your lifestyle? There is no need to stop learning, as new knowledge opens up opportunities to achieve goals and makes the process more efficient.
- How to think positively? It is necessary to eliminate bad qualities in yourself such as envy. If you learn to look positively at other people's successes, they will be perceived as a motivating stimulus. Using other people's accomplishments as role models can help you avoid judgment that leads to problems. And also change lives.
- The process of brain functioning and the reproduction of thoughts takes quite a lot of time. The more often we resort to it, the more obstacles appear. You can try to choose one of the options rather than endlessly go through and invent situations. You need to change your mind: think less, instead take decisive action. A person must control his thoughts, and not vice versa.
When taking steps that will change your thinking to a positive one, we start with the same thought. By controlling emotions, you should protect not only yourself, but also your neighbors from negativity. And also not to enter into conflicts (not to be their initiator). Changes will occur not only with thinking, but also with consciousness. And then it will become clear from the surrounding world that life has changed.
Changing thinking
Often our way of thinking is stereotypical, and bias can make a person a failure. When you change your thinking, life becomes completely different. By perceiving internal (subjective) reality, the world of our ordinary thoughts, we distort the external world. It turns out to be illusory or invented. At the same time, emotions and feelings are distorted. This makes a person inappropriate or even unhappy, which can lead to failures in the areas of life and activity. How to change your attitude towards life?
Using the method of changing thinking, we come from irrational to rational perception, using the technique of objective refutation. This ensures a self-sufficient life. In the question of how to think positively, you can also use the technology of emotional experience. But the first method is more suitable for people who want to avoid. Following the adoption of a different way of thinking, life can change.
For the same purpose, there is a method of alternative interpretation that changes “automatic” thoughts. To change his life, a person applies a method according to the following principles.
- Priority allows you to pay more attention to first impressions of events. This perception is not always the best, since people often behave impulsively and follow their intuition. As a result, late assessments lead poorly to objectivity, which is not entirely consistent with the circumstances. People are being misled. How to change yourself? We conclude that it is necessary to refrain from hasty assessments. It is necessary to obtain more information for an accurate perception.
- How to change your lifestyle? While working on your thoughts on your own, you can try to write down unpleasant emotions throughout the week. It is also necessary to note the event that activates them, and the first thought about it. Next week, as you continue to take notes, you need to come up with a number of interpretations - alternatives for the situations. Continuing to act in this way, we replace irrational thinking with objective thinking. Within a month, you can learn to think like this automatically and rebuild your lifestyle for the better.
How to improve your life
It is quite possible to learn to perceive different reality, and not just its black and white colors. Ambivalent thinking does not correspond to the division between “good” and “bad.” Once you have made your choice, you can confirm your decision without thinking about it further. But gray (or ambivalent) thinking differs from black and white in that a person is able to accept the opponent’s position. This way of perception reduces the degree of determination, but brings benefits in the form of wisdom. And you can not only change your life, but remember yourself in childhood, when you already used this method.
How does the world turn black and white?
A person’s views become rigid, as “frameworks” are imposed from the outside. For example, is higher education beneficial for us or is it just a waste of time. Strong beliefs do not allow you to find multiple answers to a question. Although it is clear that the world is not so simple as to be divided into “bad” and “good”. It's not good to make hasty decisions, but it's also bad to take forever to make choices. Wisdom allows you to look at a problem from a variety of perspectives.
How to learn to think ambivalently?
It's hard to change the way you think, especially if you like radical judgments. But attempts will teach you to take a comprehensive approach to problems, which will help eliminate hasty assessments. There are a number of rules for thinking positively in order to change your destiny.
- You should abandon strict judgments. For example, don't pronounce them. By refraining from dividing into “bad” and “good”, one can understand that the world cannot limit itself to these two categories.
- If you take the perspective of an event, it will be possible to assess its significance.
- You need to accept that a person can make mistakes. By feeling yourself in your opponent’s shoes, you can realize that his point of view is the correct one.
- Having become accustomed to the fact that the true solution is not unambiguous, a person learns to accept a different opinion and see the problem comprehensively.
To change your life, as well as thinking about ambivalence at least at the level of the first step, you need to pay attention to how the child perceives the world.
There are two types of thinking: ambivalent and black and white.
People with black and white thinking know exactly what is good and what is bad. They quickly make their choices and are prone to firm decisions that they do not think about again. Therefore, black and white thinking makes the world simpler.
Ambivalent (gray) thinking is the ability to see a situation from several sides at once. A person who knows how to think ambivalently can accept the opponent's position and look at the problem from his point of view. Despite what ambivalent thinking does to us, it is very useful. After all, only those who learn to move into the “gray zone” will become smarter and wiser.
Gray thinking can be learned. After all, each of us initially possessed the skill of ambivalent thinking when we were small.
Kids do it like this
They love to torment their parents with questions. The chain of “whys” can be endless.
- Why does the dog stick out its tongue and breathe?
- She's hot.
- Why? I'm hot, but I didn't stick my tongue out.
- Yes, but the dog has fur and doesn’t sweat.
- Why does the dog have fur?
- To keep her warm.
- Then why don’t I have wool?
- That's it, that's enough!
Parents will probably recognize this dialogue: similar conversations with children happen often. For a child, the world is not black and white, and he easily tries everything on himself. There is still so much unknown. There are no foundations, no unambiguous truths. The worldview has not yet been formed.
How the world becomes black and white
As we grow older, our views become harsher. Certain frameworks are imposed on us from the outside. For example, students are asked to take exams consisting of test questions. This forces us to think in black and white. The correct answer is always A, B, C or D, it cannot be otherwise.
The main symptom of such a worldview is thinking in certain categories:
- War is bad. War is good.
- Capitalism is bad. Capitalism is good.
- Higher education necessary. Higher education is a waste of time.
As we grow up, we think in slogans. They replace our understanding of the problem, the thinking process itself. After all, in order to think, you need to strain. And when it is clear what is black and what is white, there is no need to think.
Is it bad to have strong beliefs?
No, not bad. But real world not black and white. It is very difficult to find a question to which you could give the only correct answer. Our life is a gray area.
This is very difficult to accept: in schools and universities we are taught to believe that there are right and wrong answers. And only when faced with reality do we begin to suspect that the world is not so simple.
Clear answers and slogans are no longer suitable. If you know history well, you will not be able to unequivocally say that war is bad. Most likely, now you will say: “War is bad, but at some stages of the development of the state it was necessary, so it can be considered a complex and ambiguous phenomenon.”
From this answer it becomes clear: you are not inclined to make hasty conclusions. Ambivalent thinking is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, you can spend ages choosing between kefir and fermented baked milk. On the other hand, you have the ability to see the world from multiple perspectives and judge more wisely.
How to learn ambivalent thinking
Learning to think ambivalently is quite difficult, especially if you are prone to radical judgments. But this will help you see the situation from all sides and not rush to conclusions. Therefore, it’s still worth learning gray thinking, and here’s how you can do it.
1. Stop judging the world harshly
2. Think about the event or phenomenon in perspective
Consider phenomena, events and concepts from the point of view of time. Determine their significance, taking into account both the good and the bad.
3. Accept that you are not always right.
Accept your opponent's point of view. Try to believe that he knows the truth and you don’t.
4. Teach yourself that truth is ambiguous.
Look at the problem from all sides. Accept a different opinion. Remember how, and try to take at least a step towards ambivalent thinking.
Positive results don't always require a lot of effort. Sometimes making small changes in the way you think can dramatically increase your chances of success.
Do you want to live a productive, happy and successful life, but mental obstacles keep getting in your way? Do you know what it takes to become successful, but is it easier said than done? Are you ready to do the work necessary to succeed, but your mind leaves you paralyzed and unable to take action?
Changes in thinking can significantly improve your quality of life
Here's the good news - positive results don't always require a lot of effort. Sometimes making small changes in the way you think can dramatically increase your chances of success.
The following small changes in thinking can greatly improve your quality of life.
Turn envy into curiosity
We all experience envy at one time or another. But envy can be beneficial if you use its power correctly. Turning your envious energy into curiosity forces you to take action instead of feeling sorry for yourself.
For example, I remember a friend of mine published her article on a high traffic website. I was a little jealous, but then I decided to find out how she did it. My work was published on the same platform a few days later. I continued to use curiosity to achieve what others were doing.
Every time you see that someone has managed to do something you want, reverse engineer what they did, or find them and ask how they did it.
It would seem that the amazing results that others get are not as difficult to achieve as you think. Take the time to learn how they did something and things will change. You don't have to reinvent the wheel - just follow the path laid out by those ahead of you.
Make learning an obligation, not an option.
“Being more rational and improving as much as you can, no matter your age or experience, is a moral duty.” – Charlie Munger, Vice President, Berkshire Hathaway
An unwillingness to learn and improve increases your chances of failure. Think of learning as the price you have to pay to be human. Treat acquiring new information as your profession. Information has become more accessible than ever before. The playing field is level.
Billionaire Elon Musk studied rocket science by reading every book on the subject and talking to experts in the field. Investor Warren Buffett is known to spend up to eight hours a day reading. He says, “The more you learn, the more you can potentially earn.”
Don't work your way to the top. Work your way to the top through training.
Change "I am (so-and-so)" to "I'm working on it"
The labels you put on yourself determine your actions. Be careful what words you use after the phrase “I am (so-and-so).” The minute you call yourself lazy, stupid, weak, etc., you are acting on that label. Instead of labeling yourself, try making statements that indicate you are in the process of improving.
- Instead of "I'm lazy" - "I'm working on becoming a more productive person."
- Instead of “I’m poor” - “I’m learning to manage my finances and develop skills to earn more.”
- Instead of "I'm stupid" - "I'm learning as much as I can and my knowledge base will grow."
This subtle shift in how you describe yourself will lead to significant changes in behavior.
Moving from a Fixed Mindset to a Growth Mindset
“We like to think of our champions and idols as superheroes who were born different from us. We don't like to think of them as relatively ordinary people who made themselves extraordinary." – Carol Dweck
Take Michael Jordan for example. Jordan is considered by many to be the greatest basketball player of all time. When he was in high school, however, he was not good athlete. He started to shine in college, but no one expected him to become the greatest player in the NBA. The key to Jordan's success was not a superhuman level of talent, but a superhuman level of work ethic and willingness to improve.
Jordan spent 10,000 hours practicing before becoming a star. If he had not worked so consistently, he may never have achieved this level of success.
You can't do everything you want, but if you find something you're naturally talented at and work tirelessly at it, you'll likely succeed.
Let success follow you, not the other way around.
“Do not set yourself a goal of success - the more you strive for it, making it your goal, the more likely you will miss it.” – Viktor Frankl
You shouldn't strive for success. Instead, focus on becoming the best version of yourself and success will follow.
Here are some examples of how to make success follow you, and not the other way around.
Focus on creating a great product, not on how many people will buy it.
Focus on writing good blog articles, not on how many people will read them.
Focus on studying instead of doing useless work.
When you focus on doing meaningful work, people will learn about you. Go deep inside yourself and think about how you can improve yourself a little every day - the results will definitely come.
Find 300 Spartans instead of building a huge army
You may have dreams of being famous and important. You want everyone to enjoy your creation and love the work you do, but that will never happen. Your goal should be to find your tribe and get loyal people that will support your higher vision.
In the movie 300, a small force of Spartan soldiers was able to fight off a massive Persian army in a series of battles. The Persian army consisted of slaves, prisoners of war and civilians. The Spartans dedicated their entire existence to war. Selflessness and devotion to each other was their greatest asset.
Would you rather have the fake support of the masses or a group of die-hard and dedicated people who share the same cause as you? Successful people choose the latter.
Narrow your focus instead of spreading yourself thin.
“By the time a student gets to college, he has spent a decade preparing for a completely unknown future. Come what may, he’s ready—nothing special.” – Peter Thiel, “Zero to One”
In his book, Thiel asks the question: “On what important truth do very few people agree with you?”
My answer: People shouldn't have a ton of options when it comes to their future. The world would be a better place if we focused on abilities early stage and developed in the direction of their destiny.
You can do a bunch of things. However, you find happiness, become productive, and stay motivated when you find what you are meant to do.
Self-awareness leads to prosperity. Find out who you are so you can figure out what you want.
Focus on what not to do
“Great success in life and business comes from being aware of what you want to avoid.” – Charlie Munger
The key to success seems mysterious. But there are some obvious keys to failure. Instead of trying to unlock the secrets to motivation, success and productivity, focus on what you shouldn't do and avoid it. Observe people who have failed to learn what to avoid. You can learn from mistakes, but who says they have to be yours?
Focus on sanity, not ambition
“Ambition means linking your well-being to what other people say or do. Self-indulgence means associating it with what is happening to you. Sanity means connecting it to your own actions.” - Marcus Aurelius
Here's the truth about success that no one wants to tell you. Sometimes you can do everything right and still fail. Sometimes people are lucky, and sometimes bad things happen to them. When you tie your happiness to specific outcomes, you put yourself at risk of becoming depressed and unhappy when things don't go the way you want.
When you connect your well-being to your own actions, you can look back on what you've done with pride. Often, dedicated effort and persistence lead to success, but if things don't work out, you can still be satisfied that you did everything in your power to succeed.
Give your fear the right direction
Fear provides the motivation you need to succeed if you use it correctly. You can't get rid of fear, but you can channel it in a direction that either helps you or hinders you.
Most people are afraid of uncertainty, failure and mistakes.
Successful people fear regret, failure to take action, and the question “What if?”
Accept your fear. Use its energy correctly.
Focus on short bursts of productivity instead of being productive 24 hours a day
Our society puts productivity on a pedestal. We're always looking for tips, tricks, and hacks to become hyper-productive and organized. You don't need a carefully planned Evernote file, you just need to spend short periods of time doing focused and productive work.
Here are ways to help you make the most of your time slots:
Don't multitask (it kills your brain).
Rid your environment of distractions - no phone, no Email, no social networks.
Determine a time frame that you can adhere to - 30 minutes of concentrated work is superior to 2 hours of work with distractions. Be realistic. Don't bite off more than you can chew.
Give yourself credit for getting through these short periods of productivity. Over time, you'll be able to stay focused for longer periods of time, and you'll become a more productive person overall.
Value experience
Many of us suffer from impostor syndrome. You may feel that you are qualified just because you have a degree. Competence comes from knowledge and experience. To be considered an expert, you must have knowledge of what you are talking about and be respected by people.
Robert Cialdini's book Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion states that people are influenced by authority, regardless of whether the person wielding it is "worthy."
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Imagine a man dressed in a white lab coat with a stethoscope around his neck - his appearance alone will make you believe that he is competent, smart and trustworthy, even if he is not a real doctor.
Once you develop the necessary knowledge, you will have the confidence to position yourself as an authority and people will treat you as one.
Never think about wasting your time (everything matters)
You may worry that you are making the wrong choices when it comes to your future. You don't want to waste a ton of time following the wrong path. When you think that every moment of your life is important, you realize that time is never wasted.
Even if the path you follow does not bring the same results, you still get:
Experience – Even if you spent months or years in a career for which you were not suited, you learned useful skills in the process.
Connection – Every person you encounter along the way has something valuable to offer. If you are observant, you will learn something new from everyone you meet.
Feedback– when something doesn’t work on the first try, you’ll have a better idea of what to do next time.
Everything matters. The mistakes you made in the past can lead to success in the future. When you have a high level of awareness, you can extract useful information from every moment.
Treat safety as something negative
In the book Antifragile, Nassim Taleb reveals the problem of a false sense of safety and security.
“Imagine a turkey that is fed every day. Each feeding strengthens the bird's belief in receiving food from friendly representatives every day. human race– this is the norm, because they “have her best interests at heart,” as a politician would say. On the Wednesday afternoon before Thanksgiving, something unexpected will happen to the turkey. And this will entail a revision of beliefs.”
A false sense of security leaves you fragile when you are exposed to what Taleb calls “black swan events.”
Stay vigilant. Strive to become antifragile by introducing impermanence into your life. Structure your life to take advantage of uncertainty. The fittest species are those that survive, but they are not necessarily the strongest.
Be okay with finishing last (as long as you're on the right track)
I'm not against people getting a fair minimum wage, but think about this - raising the minimum wages is only important to you if you plan to stay down.
When you're aiming for the top, you'll still be in great shape even if you finish last. The difference between the one percent at the top and the 99 percent at the bottom is mindset. You can roll your eyes or accept it as fact.
If you spend your whole life learning what it takes to be successful and never give up, you will do great. Level up your game.
Don't look at experts and influencers in awe - vow to take their place. They are not special. They ordinary people, who had the audacity to believe that there was more to life than a mediocre existence.
Believe in your ability to achieve what you want. Do whatever it takes to get to the top. published .
P.S. And remember, just by changing your consciousness, we are changing the world together! © econet
There are two types of thinking: ambivalent and black and white.
People with black and white thinking know exactly what is good and what is bad. They quickly make their choices and are prone to firm decisions that they do not think about again. Therefore, black and white thinking makes the world simpler.
Ambivalent (gray) thinking is the ability to see a situation from several sides at once. A person who knows how to think ambivalently can accept the opponent's position and look at the problem from his point of view. Despite what ambivalent thinking does to us, it is very useful. After all, only those who learn to move into the “gray zone” will become smarter and wiser.
Gray thinking can be learned. After all, each of us initially possessed the skill of ambivalent thinking when we were small.
Kids do it like this
They love to torment their parents with questions. The chain of “whys” can be endless.
- Why does the dog stick out its tongue and breathe?
- She's hot.
- Why? I'm hot, but I didn't stick my tongue out.
- Yes, but the dog has fur and doesn’t sweat.
- Why does the dog have fur?
- To keep her warm.
- Then why don’t I have wool?
- That's it, that's enough!
Parents will probably recognize this dialogue: similar conversations with children happen often. For a child, the world is not black and white, and he easily tries everything on himself. There is still so much unknown. There are no foundations, no unambiguous truths. The worldview has not yet been formed.
How the world becomes black and white
As we grow older, our views become harsher. Certain frameworks are imposed on us from the outside. For example, students are asked to take exams consisting of test questions. This forces us to think in black and white. The correct answer is always A, B, C or D, it cannot be otherwise.
The main symptom of such a worldview is thinking in certain categories:
- War is bad. War is good.
- Capitalism is bad. Capitalism is good.
- Higher education is necessary. Higher education is a waste of time.
As we grow up, we think in slogans. They replace our understanding of the problem, the thinking process itself. After all, in order to think, you need to strain. And when it is clear what is black and what is white, there is no need to think.
Is it bad to have strong beliefs?
No, not bad. But the real world is not black and white. It is very difficult to find a question to which you could give the only correct answer. Our life is a gray area.
This is very difficult to accept: in schools and universities we are taught to believe that there are right and wrong answers. And only when faced with reality do we begin to suspect that the world is not so simple.
Clear answers and slogans are no longer suitable. If you know history well, you will not be able to unequivocally say that war is bad. Most likely, now you will say: “War is bad, but at some stages of the development of the state it was necessary, so it can be considered a complex and ambiguous phenomenon.”
From this answer it becomes clear: you are not inclined to make hasty conclusions. Ambivalent thinking is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, you can spend ages choosing between kefir and fermented baked milk. On the other hand, you have the ability to see the world from multiple perspectives and judge more wisely.
How to learn ambivalent thinking
Learning to think ambivalently is quite difficult, especially if you are prone to radical judgments. But this will help you see the situation from all sides and not rush to conclusions. Therefore, it’s still worth learning gray thinking, and here’s how you can do it.
1. Stop judging the world harshly
2. Think about the event or phenomenon in perspective
Consider phenomena, events and concepts from the point of view of time. Determine their significance, taking into account both the good and the bad.
3. Accept that you are not always right.
Accept your opponent's point of view. Try to believe that he knows the truth and you don’t.
4. Teach yourself that truth is ambiguous.
Look at the problem from all sides. Accept a different opinion. Remember how, and try to take at least a step towards ambivalent thinking.
Even in the recent past, ordinary people had a distorted idea of the nature and essence of mental disorders. So, depressive states attributed to indicators of the subject’s weakness of spirit. Intense phobic fears were considered far-fetched and ridiculous. Tormenting panic attacks were attributed to the person’s feigned demonstrative actions. Manic states with their characteristic euphoria were attributed to unhealthy carelessness and excessive cheerfulness of the person. And mentally ill people with symptoms of schizophrenic disorders were generally treated as people whose souls had been possessed by the devil.
However, as knowledge about human physiology develops, the characteristics of higher nervous activity, obtaining information about unique world In the psyche of the individual, scientists put forward more realistic hypotheses about the causes of disorders. Along with genetic and biological theories of the origin of mental pathologies, an honorable niche is occupied by the versions proposed by various psychotherapeutic schools. Among the most reliable, practice-tested theories are the concepts developed by the creators and followers of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).
From the point of view of the creators of this school, the real cause of all psychological problems, complexes, neuroses, psychotic disorders is the individual’s erroneous stereotypical functional system thinking. Such a destructive and unproductive model of thinking is a set of thoughts, ideas, perceptions, beliefs that are not an objective reflection of reality. This dysfunctional thought pattern is also not a consequence or reflection of the individual's personal experiences. Such a system of thinking that negatively affects life is the result of an incorrect interpretation of the existing state of affairs, an incorrect interpretation of the events of the present. Such a model of judgment may be the result of some personal misconceptions, but most often such a stereotypical construct is formed due to the intense influence of some external factors that were incorrectly interpreted by a person.
Based on the above, all processes and products of human thinking can be divided into two broad groups:
According to the authors of the school of cognitive behavioral therapy, it is the presence of unproductive elements in the subject’s thinking that distorts the objective perception of reality and rewards a person with destructive emotions and feelings. Such dysfunctional thinking prevents the formation of a constructive life position, deprives a person of a flexible worldview and initiates illogical human behavior.
Accordingly, it is rigid and unconstructive thinking that leads to negative psycho-emotional and behavioral consequences. Irrational emotions go off scale in amplitude, and, reaching the strength of affect, they simply hang a veil over a person’s eyes and demonstrate reality in a distorted light. Such destructive thinking is the culprit of reckless actions, hasty actions, and unfair categorical verdicts. It is the distorted links in thinking that are the true cause of depression, anxiety disorders, obsessive thoughts and actions, eating behavior abnormalities, alcoholism and drug addiction, gaming and emotional addictions. Such non-adaptive components of thinking prevent the individual from fully functioning in society and do not allow creating strong family and deprive a person of friendly relations. Destructive elements of thinking are the cause of low self-esteem and the existence of various inferiority complexes in individuals. They create a sad mood and bad feeling, are the culprit of painful thoughts and loneliness of a person.
How to change your thinking and improve your life? It is necessary to detect and identify these erroneous stereotypes, and subsequently eliminate them from the sphere of thinking, filling the “cleared space” with rational and realistic experiences. Having acquired useful ideas and constructive ideas, a person will take full control of the course of his thought process, thereby protecting himself from possible negative pressure in the future. By filling the mental space with functional feelings, a person will acquire a constructive worldview, which will allow him to behave adequately and harmlessly for himself in any life circumstances. As a result, a functional system of thinking will save a person from psycho-emotional problems, and a constructive line of behavior will ensure success in any endeavor.
CBT methods: relevance and authority
The techniques proposed by CBT supporters have gained wide popularity among doctors, psychologists and ordinary citizens. All techniques within the framework of cognitive behavioral therapy have been tested in clinical psychotherapeutic practice and are recognized in academic societies around the world. The success and demand for CBT techniques can be explained by a combination of various factors, among which I would like to highlight a number of particularly outstanding advantages.
The teaching of cognitive behavioral therapy names the obvious causes of various disorders of the psychotic and neurotic level in people from different segments of the population, without dividing citizens into any special categories. Proponents of CBT explain the causes of people's psychological problems in a way that is understandable and in simple language. To date, the introduction of cognitive behavioral therapy methods into clinical practice has helped tens of thousands of people around the globe. All techniques developed within this area are universal tools to solve various psychological problems and can be used for all abnormal conditions, excluding severe irreversible mental pathologies.
The concept of cognitive behavioral therapy also favorably distinguishes humanistic attitude to each person, manifesting itself in the unconditional acceptance of the individuality and characteristics of each person, positive attitude to any representative of humanity. However, this method involves conducting impartial, healthy criticism regarding the subject’s negative experiences and negative actions. In simple terms, a person can be neither bad nor good, he is special with a unique personality, however, in his belief system there may be some destructive components that need to be identified and eliminated.
The benefits of cognitive behavioral therapy techniques also include:
How to change your thinking without wasting energy and time on expensive visits to psychotherapists? The only conditions for achieving results using the techniques described are:
How to change your thinking pattern: steps to eliminate erroneous stereotypes
It should be noted that the therapeutic process through these techniques also implies the inclusion in the program of components that are conducive to the transformation and development of the individual. Consultation with an experienced and certified doctor regarding the exact formulation of the existing problem and recommendations regarding treatment, careful study of educational literature on psychology, familiarity with authoritative sources of information on psychotherapy, regular contacts with wise and positive people will accelerate the approach of the moment of complete change from destructive thinking to a creative model.
It's worth remembering that main enemy on the way to getting rid of problems is banal human laziness and the habit of letting everything take its course. That is why, in order to succeed in transforming thinking at the initial stage, it is necessary to make a certain amount of volitional effort in order to break the ingrained stereotypes about the “uselessness” of working on oneself.
How to change your thinking? Let's move on to the practical part of our article. The task of the first stage of working on yourself is to identify, track, analyze and understand your own thoughts.
Technique 1. Unbiased presentation of thoughts
This task assumes that we will each time write down on a piece of paper the thoughts that we have in the process of making a decision to perform this or that action. Our task is to record every thought as accurately as possible, write them down in the order of occurrence, not miss the slightest thesis, and not make our own assessments: “needed” or “not necessary.” Such actions will clearly demonstrate what considerations prevail in us, what motives guide us before making a decision.
Technique 2. Exploring your own thoughts
To do this, we start a special notebook - a diary of thoughts. At least three times a day we retire and record on paper all the thoughts and ideas that have arisen throughout our lives. last hours. We try to write them down without judging, we present them succinctly and concisely, we try to express ourselves as accurately as possible. We keep a diary of thoughts for one month. At the end of this period, we carefully re-read the written theses and conduct a thorough analysis. Our goal is to establish what thoughts with what content most often “live” in our heads, and how long we think about them. This action will help determine what specifically worries us the most and most often.
Technique 3. Form an objective point of view on your own thinking
The purpose of this exercise is to eliminate biases in our own judgments and develop an objective view of the thoughts that arise in our minds. The primary action is the following: we must recognize that “harmful” thoughts do not arise in us of our own free will and are not a product of our own thinking, but arise automatically. We need to realize that the judgments that prevail in the present were formed earlier in the past. Such stereotypical ideas are the result formed due to some negative circumstances in personal history. Or these erroneous ideas are imposed on us from the outside by outsiders.
Technique 4. Moving away unconstructive thoughts from our consciousness
Our next action on the path to transforming thinking is to recognize and acknowledge the fact that stereotypical ideas and judgments are not useful and functional. Such erroneous components of thinking do not allow one to quickly adapt to real-life conditions. Since such elements do not correspond to the real state of affairs, they contradict reality, they are not true, but false. Therefore, develop your personal life philosophy, guided by such misconceptions, is erroneous, illogical and dysfunctional. With these steps, we acknowledge the existence of harmful ideas in ourselves, and at the same time, we consciously remove them from our thinking.
Technique 5. Challenging stereotypical thoughts
We record our existing stereotypical idea on a piece of paper. After this we write in two columns maximum amount arguments for and against. That is, on the left side of the sheet we write down the probable advantages, advantages, benefits that we can get from the development of such a stereotypical thought. In the right column we write down all the possible shortcomings, flaws, and damage that threatens us from the globalization of this stereotypical construct.
We re-read the arguments presented daily. Over time, our consciousness will instinctively weed out arguments that can harm us, leaving only a few “correct” arguments. Since neither their number nor their strength can counterbalance our entire life strategy, such a stereotypical construct will be excluded from consciousness due to its uselessness.
Technique 6. Weigh the advantages and disadvantages of our beliefs
This step involves carefully examining, analyzing and weighing the existing final results of our belief. Our task is to conduct research on all possible options to solve the problem, consider all the expected consequences of the existence of a stereotypical judgment. After which we “put” on the balance the advantages of the existence of a stereotypical belief and the disadvantages of its presence. Since in the vast majority of cases, from the presence of prejudice, we are more likely to lose and lose than to win and gain, the idea that this stereotype is useless arises in our thinking. Accordingly, the conclusion suggests itself: since the idea is useless, then it is not worth storing and cherishing it.
Technique 7. Conduct an experiment
For this exercise, we will need the presence of a person who is able to maintain equanimity under any conditions and will not hold grudges in the future. The essence of this technique is to experimentally test for personal experience, what sensations does an open demonstration of some kind give us? negative emotion. By warning our partner on a task, we remove all barriers of censorship, eliminate cultural prohibitions, and express out loud what overwhelms us. We can scream, desperately gesticulate, sob loudly, break dishes, just to completely throw out the feeling that is corroding us. We must show our anger, resentment, anger, rage with all our might. After this, we take a break and impartially study how our well-being has changed. We ask our partner what exactly he was worried about, what he was thinking about when we showed ourselves “in all our glory.” Finally, let's weigh the benefits and damages of having such a stereotypical idea.
Technique 8. Restoring objectivity in the past
Very often, an erroneous worldview is the result of an incorrect interpretation of past events, an incorrect interpretation of the actions of other people, and a distorted understanding of the motives for the actions of others. Therefore, in order to restore “justice”, we need to find our past “offenders” and have a frank dialogue with them. A heart-to-heart conversation involves not only expressing our emotions and interrogating, but also allowing the other person to express our point of view. We must allow the person to explain why he acted this way. This exercise will help you look at what happened with a different perspective, forgive grievances and “let go” of the past.
Technique 9. Connecting authoritative sources
Quite often, we ourselves exaggerate our fears and reinforce existing anxiety with wild fantasies. At the same time, most of us completely ignore objective information regarding the “danger” of our fears. We set ourselves the task of collecting as much data as possible regarding the objects of our fear. We study scientific literature, official reports, statistical data. We communicate with competent persons who directly encounter the objects of our fear. The more verified information we collect, the sooner our consciousness will convince itself of the absurdity of our anxiety and help us free ourselves from stereotypical thinking.
Technique 10. Socratic method
Although the Socratic dialogue technique involves two people talking, you can use this method yourself. We must have a conversation with ourselves and try to find “blunders” in our thoughts. Then we focus our attention on the existing contradictions. For example, if we are convinced that we are in danger of imminent death due to the bite of a stray dog, we present the argument that we were previously bitten by a dog, but nothing catastrophic happened.
Technique 11. Eliminating the catastrophic nature of events
How to change thinking and eliminate destructive links? We must develop to gigantic size our existing belief. This action will minimize the scale possible consequences from the occurrence of a frightening event. For example, if we are afraid to speak in public, we answer the questions: “What exactly will happen to us at the moment when we find ourselves in the public eye?”, “With what intensity will the experiences overcome us?”, “How long will the painful sensations debilitate us?” ?”, “What should happen next? Are we going to have a heart attack? Will we die on the spot? Will all of humanity die with us? Will there be an apocalypse? The earth will come down from its orbit and cease to exist?” As a result, we will have the idea that our experiences in a global sense are not worth a damn. By reducing the importance of the stereotype, we will improve our well-being and allow new constructive thinking to arise.
Technique 12. Reassessing the traumatic event
This exercise is aimed at weakening the power of the destructive feeling that exists in us. As a result, dysfunctional experiences will lose the intensity of affect, and psycho-emotional discomfort will disappear. For example, if we have become a victim of violence, and the fact that happened prevents us from living, we should repeat the phrases: “It is sad and painful that such an incident happened in my life. But I will not allow the tragedy that happened to affect my present and interfere with a happy future. “I consciously leave the drama that happened in the past and look forward to a happy future.”
Technique 13. “Becoming” a therapist
This step also involves having a partner we can trust. Our task is to convince our opponent of the fallacy and meaninglessness of our own stereotype through persuasion and bringing ironclad arguments. We must prove to our partner that the dysfunctional idea we have is devoid of any basis and does not carry any positive meaning. Thus, by discouraging another person from “preaching” this idea, we ourselves convince ourselves to abandon such unconstructive views.
Technique 14. Postponing the implementation of obsessive ideas until later
If we are overcome by an obsession to perform some stereotypical action, and at the same time we understand the absurdity and absurdity of such an idea, we can persuade ourselves to carry out such a process not now, but after a certain period of time. For example, if we desperately want to wash kitchen dishes again and again, then we set exact date to perform the action - from 19 to 19.30 pm. Before this hour arrives, we leave the apartment and walk in a well-kept park. Knowing that our obsessive desire will sooner or later be fulfilled will eliminate psychological discomfort and reward us with peace of mind.
Technique 15. Drawing up a specific action plan for a crisis
How to change your thinking and eliminate negative stereotypes? We need to know: understanding that in the event of an attack critical situation everything will be under our complete control, minimizing the fear of this event. For this we compose step by step program our actions when confronted with the object of our fear. We think about every little thing we do: what we will do, what words to say, which direction to move, how fast to run. This instruction will help eliminate anxiety about the unknown.
In conclusion
Purposeful repetition
The last exercise from our course is persistent repeated targeted repetition of all the above techniques. Through daily training, we will consolidate the acquired skills and get rid of the destructive components of thinking. We will gain complete freedom from fears and anxieties, eliminate complexes and destructive ideas, and free ourselves from the blues and apathy.
