I Was Trapped in Negative Thinking, Until I Tried This

Summary

In this video, Pratima shares a powerful technique called 'negative journaling' to break free from negative thought patterns. By writing down overwhelming thoughts without structure, you gain emotional distance and clarity. The process slows down your mind, turning mental chaos into something manageable. Pratima also emphasizes the importance of reflecting on these thoughts later to identify triggers and patterns. This self-awareness helps in transforming negative beliefs into balanced ones, ultimately fostering emotional growth and breaking the cycle of overthinking and self-doubt.

Takeaways

• 😀 Negative journaling helps in processing overwhelming thoughts by writing them down.
• 😀 The practice of writing down negative thoughts allows emotional distance from them.
• 😀 Negative journaling involves no fancy journals; it's about writing freely and without structure.
• 😀 Writing helps slow down the mind, making it easier to process and understand overwhelming thoughts.
• 😀 Engaging with negative thoughts on paper helps you see them as separate from your identity.
• 😀 After journaling, reflecting on the thought patterns can lead to real self-awareness and change.
• 😀 Reflecting on your negative thoughts helps identify recurring triggers and emotions.
• 😀 Rewriting negative thoughts into balanced, more realistic perspectives aids in emotional healing.
• 😀 Reflection after journaling can uncover hidden patterns, such as the impact of certain people or situations.
• 😀 The goal of negative journaling is not to hold onto the mess of emotions but to make sense of them and move on.

Q & A

What is negative journaling?

Negative journaling is a practice where you write down your negative thoughts and feelings without any structure or fancy format. The goal is to transfer the weight of your thoughts onto paper, which helps to create emotional distance and make the thoughts easier to process.

Why does negative journaling work?

Negative journaling works because it slows down your thinking process. Writing manually is slower than thinking, which helps to clear your mind, shape your thoughts, and create emotional distance, making it easier to engage with your thoughts and see them as separate from yourself.

How can writing down negative thoughts create emotional distance?

When a negative thought is in your head, it feels like it's a part of you. But by writing it down, you can externalize it, which allows you to view it from a distance. This shift in perspective helps you detach from the thought and observe it more objectively.

What should I do after writing my negative thoughts?

After writing down your negative thoughts, pause and reflect on them after a couple of days. Ask yourself questions like what triggered these thoughts, if there are patterns, or if you're assuming something. The key is to understand the root causes of your emotional responses.

What kind of questions should I ask myself during the reflection process?

During reflection, ask questions like: What triggered this thought? Is it the same situation or person from before? Have I experienced this before? Am I assuming something? Are there patterns or repeated words? These questions help you identify triggers and better understand your emotional reactions.

How can I reframe negative thoughts after journaling?

You can reframe negative thoughts by turning them into more balanced, realistic statements. For example, if you write, 'I'll never get anything done,' you can change it to, 'I can only do so much today, and that's enough.' This helps to break the cycle of negative thinking and promote a healthier perspective.

What should I do with the negative journaling pages once I've reflected?

You can choose to keep the reflection pages but let go of the negative thoughts by tearing, crumbling, or throwing them away. The goal is not to hold on to the mess, but to make sense of it and gain clarity on your emotional patterns.

How does negative journaling help with self-doubt and overthinking?

Negative journaling helps with self-doubt and overthinking by creating a space to process emotions and thoughts more clearly. It allows you to externalize and understand the triggers behind your doubts, which can help break the cycle of overthinking and create emotional relief.

How much time should I spend on negative journaling each day?

Negative journaling should not take more than 10 minutes of your time. It’s a quick, yet effective practice to help you release negative thoughts and gain emotional clarity.

What is the next step after negative journaling?

The next step is reflection. Once you've given yourself some time to process the negative thoughts, return to them later to understand the underlying triggers and patterns. This helps you gain insight and make lasting changes to your thinking patterns.