The Rural Mindset Podcast Episode 21 - Combating Negative Thought Patterns

by Erica Leniczek May 24, 2022

On this episode of the podcast I talk about combating negative thought patterns. We dig a little bit into the neuroscience behind why it is important to address negative thought patterns through looking at the Baader Meinhof Phenomenon or Red Car Bias, which is when your brain pays attention to something simply because you have primed your Reticular Activating System (RAS) to filter through information. This complex is also known as the Red Car Bias, because it is frequently referred to when you're purchasing a new car. If you're looking at a red Toyota car, then you'll start seeing red Toyota cars everywhere.

This applies to mental health, because if you are always paying attention to how bad things are, the negative parts of life, or never looking on the positive/bright side or practicing gratitude, you will always find something wrong and see the negative side of things. You'll often feel down, overwhelmed and well... negative.

I have a few things that I do, and here is what you can do too:

1. Work on acknowledging your thought patterns - how does your brain think about things by default?

2. Write down the negative thought in your journal

3. Write down evidence that this thought pattern is true and false

4. Write down the actual worst thing that could happen

5. On a scale from 1-10 the likelihood of the worst thing happening

6. Write down what you can control about the situation in that moment

7. Re-frame your negative thoughts by writing down the opposite thoughts of what is happening

8. What is good right now? Provide yourself with evidence that your negative thought patterns aren't true by acknowledging what is going well in your process right now or some successes that you have had recently.

Another thing I have learned is that if you are breathing, then you are doing well so far on things and you are one positive thought away from combating these negative thought patterns.

Listen to Episode 21 Here!

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If you’re looking for more great food & ag focused podcasts to listen to you can check out the Positively Farming Media playlist on Spotify. There you will find all of the podcasts on the Positively Farming Media Podcast Network just like The Rural Mindset Podcast. | Listen to the Positively Farming Playlist on Spotify