5 Ways Your Thoughts Affect Your Mental Health

Sharon Moore January 30, 2015

What we think affects our emotions, and our emotions affect our actions. Many of us tend to stick to unhealthy thought patterns that affect our mental health. Here are some of them.

Overgeneralizing

Just because you didn’t close one deal doesn’t mean you are not capable of closing anymore deals. Just because you failed the interview with one company doesn’t mean you are going to fail the next ones as well. Overgeneralizing is a toxic habit that can significantly affect your mental health and well-being. It can leave you feeling depressed and hopeless, and make it hard for you to recognise your effort and hard work.

Catastrophizing

Sometimes, the way we view things are actually worse than the reality. For instance, if your partner didn’t remember your anniversary, you might think that he’s no longer interested in your relationship, worse, he’s seeing someone else. Or if you fell short of meeting your financial goal for the year, you might start worrying about your future, your mortgage and all other things. Catastrophizing is energy-draining. At the same time, it makes us lose our enthusiasm, and demotivates us. When you feel like worrying too much, remind yourself that there are better possible outcomes for the situation. And instead of focusing on the possibility that things won’t turn our okay, shift all your energy and attention to finding solutions.

Labelling

Are you fond of labelling yourself? Instead of saying you have made a mistake, do you call yourself “stupid”? When you don’t like the reflection you see on the mirror, do you call yourself “fat” or “ugly”? Labelling yourself is same as limiting yourself. Labelling are for things, not for people. You are a complex, intelligent and beautiful person who can’t be defined or described with just one word.

Personalization

When a friend didn’t answer your call or didn’t reply to your message on Facebook (even though she/he’s online), you might think that they are mad at you, or don’t want to talk to you. If your boss is grumpy, you might conclude that he doesn’t like you. When you take things personally, you start to hate yourself, wonder why you are not good enough, and the cycle of negative thoughts continue. The next time you caught yourself personalizing things, think about the other possible factors that may be affecting the situation. Perhaps your friend didn’t respond because she is busy, or your boss is grumpy because he had a bad morning.

Mind-reading

Whilst you can get a clue of how a person feels by looking at their gestures and facial expressions, you can never tell what exactly is in their mind. Just because your boss frown upon hearing your suggestion doesn’t mean he doesn’t like it. Maybe he came across a negative thought or a not-so-good experience.

It is normal to indulge in negative thinking at times. That’s part of being human. But we should not let those thoughts take control of your life, and prevent you from living the life you want.