In the movie Inception, Cobb explains how when you can plant an idea in someone’s mind through a dream, it can be done in such a way that the person wakes up and believes that it was their own idea. He asks what the most resilient parasite is, and then says it’s an idea. He goes on to say, “Once an idea has taken hold of the brain, it’s almost impossible to eradicate.”
When we apply this idea to our waking life, we can see how the beliefs we have shape how we experience the world and act as a filter. If we have negative beliefs about ourselves, we will look for examples and things in our lives that confirm that. Likewise, if we have positive beliefs, we will seek out evidence to support those beliefs as well.
How to Challenge Negative Beliefs
If you are struggling with a negative belief system, here are some ways you can begin to challenge your thoughts.
Identify Your Thought Patterns
Do you have thought patterns that are unproductive? Common negative thinking patterns include:
Personalization
You automatically assume that you are to blame, or that someone is saying something negative about you.
Black and White Thinking
When something happens, it is 100% good or 100% bad. You may judge someone else as “good” or “bad” based on one thing that happened, rather than see them in shades of grey.
Catastrophizing
You may immediately jump to the worst possible outcome during a conflict or stressful situation.
If you find yourself having any of these thought patterns, ask yourself what other ways of thinking would be more helpful.
Be Mindful
Mindfulness exercises like meditation can help us stay focused on the present. If you think about it, personalization and black and white thinking requires you to time travel to the past and present, and catastrophizing requires to time travel to the future. If you can take a step back and just stay in the moment, you can challenge faulty negative patterns of thinking faster.
Practice Gratitude
Get into the practice of writing out at least three things you are grateful for every day. I find this out first thing in the morning really helps in how I approach my day. Negative thinking can blind us to all the positive things that are happening in our lives. When you feel negative, revisiting all the things you feel thankful for can balance your perspective.
Seek the Help of a Therapist
Reaching out to a therapist can help you discover new tools and ways to handle negative thought patterns. Sometimes having someone who is completely neutral can offer a new perspective and challenge your way of thinking.
