We all have a voice in our head – a combination of an internal dialogue and a narrator that not only tells our story but also comments on it. Often it is a positive voice, something that we rely on to help give us direction. But when we are struggling with negative thoughts and mental health issues, such as depression and/or anxiety, that voice can guide us down a slippery slope if we’re not careful.
If left unchecked, that voice in our head will become louder and louder – practically shouting negative thoughts at us. And those loud thoughts can become more and more negative, making them increasingly more difficult to ignore. As time passes, our mental health issues can become worse and lead to a plethora of symptoms that can affect our overall physical health too.
How to Change the Negative Voice in Your Head
So, what can we do when those negative thoughts start to overpower the more positive ones? Here are a few tips for combatting negative thoughts.
Recognize Your Negative Thoughts
Those voices in our heads just seem to appear out of nowhere. You can’t control them by turning them off, so you need to do the next best thing – identify them as the intruders and flag them for further evaluation. Once you label these thoughts as negative thoughts you can then begin to evaluate them.
Evaluate Your Negative Thoughts
Take a moment to replay that thought in your head. Then try to evaluate it by asking yourself these questions:
- Is it realistic or irrational?
- Is it based on a fact or on an opinion?
- What evidence do you have that supports your determination?
Most of the time you will find these negative thoughts to be unrealistic opinions. Plus, you will have little to no supporting evidence.
And if you can’t remember what questions to ask, then refer to the following quote: “that voice in your head, that says, ‘you can’t do it’, is lying.” – Unknown
Adjust Your Perspective or Reframe Your Thoughts
If you are still having trouble evaluating your own thoughts, try to adjust your perspective. If a friend came to you with this thought and list of reasons why they believe it is true – what would you say to them? You would likely be able to counter their argument and win the debate.
And if that doesn’t work, try reframing your thoughts into something more realistic. Think about how many times that voice in your head has been wrong. Think about how many times that voice has lied to you. Try to remember the last time that voice told you that “you can’t do it.” Did you fail? And if you did fail, how bad was it? Did the worst-case scenario happen?
What if Your Negative Thoughts About the Worst-Case Scenario Do Come True?
Ask yourself: How bad would the worst-case scenario really be? Would it be life altering? Would you be able to recover from it? Do you see a path to recovery? In the vast majority of situations, the worst-case scenario wouldn’t drastically alter your life. And even if it does, there is an even more likely path to recovery.
And here is another important question to ask yourself. When was the last time the worst-case scenario you imagined in your head came true? Did it ever turn out as bad or worse than that negative voice in your head predicted? And even if it did, were you able to recover from it over time?
Combat Negative Thoughts and Mental Health Issues with Help from a Professional Counselor
If you are not able to tone down or drown out your negative thoughts, then you need to consider contacting a professional mental health provider. They can work with you one-on-one and provide personalized recommendations to help you combat your negative thoughts.
Don’t let that loud, negative voice in your head lie to you any longer. Instead, let Dr. Alyx MacTernan, a Licensed Professional Counselor in Georgia and Texas, help you drown out the lies. She can guide you toward a better mindset and improved mental health.
***If you feel you are a danger to yourself or others or are experiencing a medical emergency – Call 911 immediately. Do not rely on communication through this website for urgent medical needs.***