Break Free from Negative Thoughts

You know that feeling when a thought just sticks like Velcro, like "Nobody likes me," "I'm not good enough," "I can't do this"? I'd like to share with you a skill today that can help loosen that Velcro grip. Now, when a thought feels so real, so true, it basically becomes part of your reality. And when that happens, it runs the whole show. This is called cognitive fusion, but here's the thing. Thoughts aren't facts. They're just thoughts, and deciphering between fact and thought is called cognitive defusion. And it starts with learning to observe your thoughts rather than being consumed by them. Here's how. When a thought shows up, I want you to label it. So for example, "Nobody likes me," is that a fact or a thought? Yep, that's a thought. How about, "I can't do this"? Fact or thought? Yep, that's another. It's just a thought. "I need to mail that package by Friday." Well, actually that one's a fact. And here's a last one: "I'm not good enough." That's just a thought, even though it might not feel that way. Maybe try, "I'm noticing that I'm having the thought that I'm not good enough." That tiny shift creates distance. The thought is there, but it's not you, and when you can name these thoughts and separate them from who you actually are, they get a little quieter, and you get a little more room to breathe....