Many of us spend a lot of time within our own minds, and with the majority of us now locked down in our homes, our negative thoughts are bound to get worse. However, worrying about the future as well as the present can prevent us from focusing on what’s most important. Take a look at my three tips below, which should help you to deal with your negative thoughts patterns during the current pandemic.
Recognise negative thinking patterns
Negative thoughts are repetitive and can convince us of something that isn’t really true. In response to these, we develop negative emotions such as anger, stress and fear, so being able to recognise negative patterns will be essential for coping during this challenging time. Common thoughts include personalising (believing you are to blame) and catastrophising (assuming the worst possible outcome will happen). To break these, you need to ‘name’ them. Giving these thoughts a label will help you to step back from them, and they will no longer get all of your attention.
Practice mindfulness
Now, more than ever, it’s important to focus our thoughts on what we’re sensing in the present rather than the past or the future. To do this, we need to practice mindfulness. A great way to do this is to take a moment to pause before completing an action. For example, listen to the phone ringing before answering it or pay attention to the movement of your body and your surroundings when out for your daily exercise.
Practice gratitude
It might be hard to feel grateful right now, especially when facing an unknown length of time at home, but spending some time trying to find things to be grateful for is essential – it doesn’t matter how big or small they are. For example, have you had a successful day home-schooling your child? If so, take a minute to recognise this and reward yourself. Some people find keeping a gratitude journal is an easy and effective way to do this.
