Challenging Negative Thoughts:

It asks you to ask yourself these following questions.

 

1) What evidence is there that this thought is true?

2) What evidence is there that this thought is false?

3) What advice would my trusted loved ones give me?

4) What advice would I give my best friend?

5)  Will this matter in 6 months?  A year?  5 years?  

 

 

Positive Self-Talk kind of sounds like psycho-babble, but it can help decrease anxious moods.  Instead of thinking catastrophic thoughts such as, "I can't do this.  I can't handle this.  This is never going to get done.  I'm a failure.  This is impossible", think more realistically.  Think things like, "This may look difficult, but I believe I can do this.  I've handled challenging things before--I can do this, too.  I feel anxious and uncomfortable, but I'm still here and I'll conquer this thing, too."  Try to avoid letting your thoughts get you stuck in a ditch.  When one thinks over-the-top negative thoughts, this sabotages their mood and can influence them to have the symptoms of flight, fight, or freeze of anxiety.