The Story You Tell Yourself

Unhealthy thoughts can have a profound impact on our mental well-being and happiness. They can lead to feelings of anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem, and can even prevent us from reaching our full potential. However, there is a solution to this problem: challenging these thoughts and reframing them into more healthy, productive, and likely more accurate thoughts.

Challenging unhealthy thoughts involves recognizing when you are having them and then questioning their accuracy. For example, if you have the thought “I’m a failure,” you can challenge this by asking yourself, “Is this thought really true? What evidence do I have that supports or refutes this thought?” By questioning the accuracy of these types of thoughts, you can start to see them for what they are: just thoughts, not facts.

Once you have challenged these unhealthy thoughts, the next step is to reframe them into accurate thoughts. This generally involves finding a more balanced and rational perspective on the situation. For example, instead of thinking “I’m a failure,” you can reframe this thought into “I made a mistake, but that doesn’t define me as a person. I can learn from it and do better next time.” This reframed thought is more accurate and empowering, which can help to improve your sense of self and confidence.

Reframing unhealthy thoughts can be a difficult process, but with practice, it can become easier over time.  Also, there may be sensitive situations or events, such as the death of a parent or child or job loss, that may be especially difficult to reframe them.  However, it is important to give yourself grace and self-compassion, and recognize this is part of the process. It’s also important to be patient and persistent, and grant yourself some tenderness as you work to develop more robust, healthy ways of thinking. By challenging unhealthy thoughts and reframing them into healthy, more accurate thoughts, you can start to feel more confident, optimistic, and empowered.

In sum, challenging unhealthy thoughts and reframing them into accurate thoughts is a powerful tool for improving your mental well-being and, in some cases, help improve your physical well-being. It takes time and effort, but the benefits are worth it. So, the next time you find yourself having unhealthy thoughts, take a moment to challenge them and reframe them into more accurate and empowering thoughts. Your mind and well-being will thank you for it!

Be well and stay unapologetic,

Dr. Tonya