Break the Cycle: Talking Back to The Negative Thoughts
Are you struggling with negative thinking? This approach may be beneficial to you.
PSYCHOLOGY
Maya
8/27/20264 min read
Reframing Negative Thinking
Has there been a time when you felt down in the dumps? Maybe you had the thought that "Things will never get better" or "This is just who you are," which potentially increased your feelings of helplessness. Research (Burns, 2026) has shown a link between thoughts and their effects on one's emotions. Aaron Beck, an American psychiatrist and father of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), believed that changing the way you think would change the way you feel (Burns, 2026). Thus, in today's blog post, let us discuss a particular method that you can use to reframe your negative thinking.
How Do We Reframe Negative Thinking?
Cognitive distortions, also known as automatic negative thoughts, create an illusion of reality and significantly affect how we perceive the world, how we feel, and how we respond to it. According to Dr. David Burns (1980), an American psychiatrist specializing in cognitive therapy, negative thoughts that ruminate in our minds tend to lead to the self-defeating emotions we feel and an increase in depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem. One way to tackle negative thoughts is by following these steps:
1. When you notice a negative thought, take a moment to observe the thought and write it down in a journal or on a piece of paper.
2. Identify the Cognitive Distortions you are experiencing and write the distortion next to the negative thought on the sheet of paper. Dr. Burns has discussed these Cognitive Distortions in his book Feeling Good (1980).
All-or-Nothing Thinking: We, as humans, are multidimensional and multifaceted; you may find that you are good in one area of your life but struggle in another. However, when an individual experiences All-or-nothing thinking, they tend to think in absolutes such as “Always” or “Never.” When an individual struggles with all-or-nothing thinking, Dr. Burns (1980) believes this can lead to the development of perfectionist tendencies.
An example is an individual who does not get his dream job; he responds, “I will never get a job that I enjoy doing.”
Generalization: These thoughts occur when you make a broad conclusion from one single event.
An example consists of an individual who only feels anxious when giving a presentation in front of his peers and states, “ I am just an anxious person”
Mental filter: A mental filter occurs when you pick out a negative detail of your situation and dwell only on that one negative detail. As a result, your perception of the situation is now negative.
An example is an individual who does not hold the door open for you, and you think, “Everyone in this world is unfriendly and rude.”
Disqualifying the Positive: Often, when we experience situations, individuals focus only on the negative while discrediting the positives.
An example is a worker receiving their annual review, focusing only on the constructive criticism and disregarding the positive remarks.
Jumping to Conclusion (Mind reading): The first type of instance in which an individual can jump to a conclusion is when they are struggling with mind reading. Mind reading occurs when we interpret other people's thoughts and beliefs without any evidence. Often, we create scenarios to fit a certain narrative without evidence to validate them.
An example would consist of an individual who assumes that her friend is upset with her because the friend did not message her back.
Jumping to Conclusion (Fortune Teller Error): The second type of jumping to conclusion is called the Fortune Teller Error. This distortion occurs when you make predictions in which you believe that the outcome of the situation will end terribly before the situation even occurs.
An example would be an individual who decides to go horseback riding for the first time and immediately thinks, “I will be thrown off of the horse.”
Magnification and Minimization: Magnification occurs when you find yourself magnifying the situation, potentially blowing things out of proportion. On the other hand, with Minimization, we see that we minimize the situation, maybe our abilities, maybe our importance.
An Example: Magnification (" I did not receive a good grade on that test. I am not getting into college") & Minimization ("It is not that important").
Emotional Reasoning: Emotional reasoning occurs when you take what you feel as truth. It is the belief that what you feel in that moment accurately and logically reflects what you are experiencing.
An example consists of an individual stating, “I am feeling like I can never get anything right. I must be inadequate.”
Should Statements: Should Statements consist of statements such as “I should have done this.” This way of thinking can provide more distress than motivation for change. Dr. Burns believes that using "should" statements often leads to feelings of guilt (1980).
An example would be an individual thinking, “I should have studied harder; then I would have made a better grade.”
Personalization: occurs when we believe we are responsible for things outside our control.
An example is an individual stating, “If I had called and checked on him, then he would not have been late for work.”
3. Question whether these thoughts are factual. Ex: “I always make mistakes.” Ask yourself, is it true? Or is this an instance in which you just made a mistake?
4. Next to the distortion you have listed, write out the Rational thought that is based on reason and logic. An example would be “I do not always make mistakes at work; I was able to complete my tasks efficiently yesterday.” It is crucial to reframe our thinking because it influences how we feel.
Sources
Burns, D. D. (1980). Feeling Good. HarperCollins.
Burns, D. (2026). What causes depression? new research supports Ancient Wisdom. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/feeling-good/202503/what-causes-depression-new-research-supports-ancient-wisdom
Disclaimer: The information provided on this website, including all thoughts, strategies, and faith-based perspectives, is for educational and inspirational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician, licensed therapist, or other qualified health providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this blog.
If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, thoughts of self-harm, or a medical emergency, please call your local emergency services (like 911 or 988 in the US) or go to the nearest emergency room immediately.
Questions to Ponder Until Next Time
Which cognitive distortions do you struggle with?
What do you do to cope with irrational thinking?
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