“Feed your mind just as you do your body. Feed it with good ideas wherever they can be found. Always be on the lookout for a good idea, a business idea, a product idea, a service idea, or an idea for personal improvement. Every new idea will help to refine your philosophy. Your philosophy will guide your life, and your life will unfold with distinction and pleasure.” ~Jim Rohn
If you’ve ever found yourself caught in a cycle of negative thinking, it can be tough to escape it. Negative thinking can be a consuming process. One lousy thought can lead to another, and another, until eventually, you feel miserable and hopeless in a spiral of negative “what-if” possibilities that have very little connection to reality.
There’s a simple yet, powerful method to help you escape this mental trap. By reinventing your thought processes, you can shift your mindset from trapped and despondent to uninhibited and unstoppable. This technique is called ‘thought flipping,’ and with some practice, you can avoid the cycle of negative thinking that robs so many of us of our confidence and potential.
What is thought flipping?
Thought flipping is a method used to stop negative thinking in its tracks. To try thought flipping for yourself, follow this simple pattern:
1. The first step is to bring attention to your thoughts.
2. Identify a negative or unhelpful thought and intentionally “label” it for what it is–you can even say out loud, “Hey! That’s a negative thought”!
3. Now examine that thought. Consider the reasons why it is harmful, inaccurate, unreasonable, or unlikely. Often, negative thoughts are fueled by worry or stress, meaning our minds distort them to improbable proportions.
4. Next, logically interrogate the underlying truth and the probability of the outrageous outcomes resulting from your negative thought.
5. Lastly, shift your point of view to see your situation with more accuracy. Think of what you’d say to a friend or loved one experiencing the same thoughts. By creating some space to examine our negative thinking, we have the opportunity to change our perspective and adopt a more helpful and hopeful outlook.
That’s how to flip your thinking. This powerful process reminds us that we are not our thoughts, and we can reframe any thought whenever we choose. This technique is essential when dealing with fear, disruption, and uncertainty. Here is an example of what thought flipping can look like:
● Mario has been trying to lose weight. But he’s struggling to stick to his plan 100% of the time, and he doesn’t see the results he hoped for. He thinks to himself, “I am never going to be able to do this, so I should just give up.”
● Mario realizes he’s just had a negative thought. To solidify this fact, he tells himself, “wow…. I was being really negative about this situation by thinking that way.”
● Mario starts to examine his thinking. He realizes his thought was inaccurate.
● Mario flips his thought to be more truthful and positive by saying, “I have already made some good and healthy changes on my journey, so I am going to keep trying and moving along. I’m going to focus on progress, not perfection.”
Why is it easier to have negative thoughts rather than positive ones?
Overall, human beings tend to think more negatively than positively. Why are we like this? Science has an answer!
Humans have an internal inclination called a negativity bias, meaning we often find it easier to be negative rather than positive. Believe it or not, this negativity bias has some positive outcomes. In our early evolution, this inclination helped us survive.
For example, we remember tragic, painful, or frightening events with ease because of our negativity biases. These memories make us approach dangerous situations more cautiously because they make us remember what it feels like to get hurt, feel scared, or have an otherwise negative experience.
The first time you touched a hot stove left a permanent, deep memory in your mind. Now, as an adult, you’re careful to avoid touching the stove because you clearly remember the pain associated with that experience. In this case, having a negative bias is good because it serves as a tool for survival.
However, this inclination can often get in the way of our growth and happiness. Suppose you spend more time considering adverse outcomes and possible failures. In that case, you let your negativity bias take control in situations where it doesn’t belong, and you miss out on some really amazing opportunities.
For example, if you let a fear of failure stop you from leaving your miserable job, you won’t ever find a new and better one.
It can take quite a bit of practice to master the art of thought flipping. But the result of your practice can be absolutely life-changing. Begin by identifying one or two of your most common, recurring negative thoughts to flip. Follow the steps presented until they feel natural and personal. Once you’ve developed an aptitude for flipping these one or two thoughts, expand your efforts toward other negative thoughts you have.
You’ll soon find that your negative thoughts no longer have the same grip on you and that you have become unstoppable.
