| The most convincing way of disputing a negative belief about ourselves is to show that it is incorrect by challenging it. We can ask ourselves ‘What is the evidence for this belief? What is my genuine experience right now?’ Another way of changing the way we think is by being creative and thinking of alternative explanations, becoming more reflective and compassionate in the way we view the world and ourselves.
But what if we really do think that the belief is true? Well, most negative beliefs about ourselves aren’t true, but if we cannot let go of the thought then we can de-catastrophize it: we can say to ourselves, ‘ok, so what are the implications?
How likely is the worst-case scenario, really? Your psychologist can help you work out how your negative thoughts affect your emotions and how you can challenge negative thoughts so that you can find other ways of thinking about yourself that are more helpful and real.
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