If you find yourself constantly thinking about worst-case scenarios or worrying that something might go horribly wrong, it might feel normal, but it doesn't have to stay that way. Learning how to notice and challenge your negative thoughts can help you train your mind to calm down.
Here's how to do it.
- Take an ayahuasca retreat
Sometimes you need a big shift to make changes, not just a little nap. That's why many people choose to participate in ceremonial ayahuasca retreats. It's an effective way to get a new perspective on life and reset your mind. After a ceremony, participants regularly report dramatic drops in depression, anxiety, and negative feelings. And data backs this up. For instance, one study saw reductions in negative emotions a month after the retreat along with an increase in positive emotions.
Ayahuasca can help you rewrite the narrative of your inner dialogue and eliminate those doom loops of thought, replacing them with gratitude and openness. The process of introspection that happens often leads people to reframe their self-perception with long-term results. Ayahuasca is an emotional detox, but also a chance to build new neural pathways anchored in possibility. If you want to pause the doom loop and reboot, a guided ayahuasca ceremony facilitated by compassionate ayahuasqueros can be the “factory reset” you need.
- Catch catastrophizing immediately
Negative thoughts can roll on and on forever unless you choose to stop them in their tracks. The human brain is wired to focus on negatives more than positives, thanks to a nervous system that prioritizes survival. As a result, it's not uncommon for people to jump to catastrophic conclusions. To avoid this, the moment your brain starts to think something is going to be a disaster, treat it like spam. Notice it and then remind yourself that you don't need to allow your thoughts to spiral down into the depths of a catastrophe. This will give you power over your thoughts.
Next, reframe the situation. Ask yourself, “Okay, if that's true, what's a more realistic outcome?” This will slow the runaway train. When you put this into practice, your brain will stop defaulting to worst-case scenarios and will become a thoughtful skeptic.
- Intentionally wire positivity into your brain
We're built to remember negative experiences more vividly than positive ones, but you can intentionally rewire your brain for positivity. There are numerous methods for doing this and most of them center on the same principles:
- Pause when something good happens, no matter how small, and savor it for at least 10 seconds – longer if possible.
- Intentionally focusing on the positive things in life will hardwire those moments into your long-term memory.
- Over time, when this becomes a habit, your brain will be rewired to value positivity.
Sometimes you need to hack your brain to make it cooperate.
- Visualize a positive outcome
When anxiety is getting the best of you, visualization can help you rewrite the narrative and guide your brain toward hopeful outcomes. Instead of rehearsing doom in your mind, rehearse a positive outcome. Picture the scenario going well. Feel it being smooth with a positive resolution. Be sure to include all your senses in your experience. Listen to the sounds, smell the scents, and touch things in your visualization. The richer the image, the stronger your brain hears it.
When you rewrite the outcome as positive, you're training your brain to consider positive outcomes as a possibility so it won't automatically default to the negative.
- Challenge your negative assumptions
Anytime you notice a negative thought, challenge it on the spot. Ask yourself if there's any evidence that supports the thought and what contradicts it. Look for alternative interpretations. For example, maybe that text message wasn't a snub and the person will respond later.
Shift your assumptions to curiosity. Look at the situation from all angles and be curious about what's really going on. When you can question your thoughts, that's when change happens.
- Focus on gratitude daily
Gratitude can impact your neurology and counteract your brain's negativity bias. When you actively find things to be grateful for on a daily basis, you're forcing your mind to store and replay positive data with the same intensity it normally uses to process negative thoughts. Data from Harvard Health shows that practicing daily gratitude can improve your mood, strengthen your relationships, and create better health.
Turn up the voice of reason
Training your brain not to assume the worst puts you in control of your life. The negativity bias will still be there, but you'll be able to catch it, shut it off, and choose better thoughts. Over time, that negative voice will fade and will be replaced with a calmer, more balanced narrator.
