How you can take charge of unhelpful thoughts
Our science-backed techniques will ensure you’re still making progress on your journey.
Ever find yourself at the bottom of a once-full sleeve of cookies and not sure why you began eating them in the first place? Chances are, it started with an unhelpful thought. Why? Because what you think (“I can’t do this. I might as well eat this since it doesn’t matter anyway.”) drives what you do (grabbing those cookies you didn’t even want). By noticing your thoughts, you can begin to change the way you respond.
3 Fast Facts
Every day we all have countless thoughts. So many, in fact, we often don’t even notice them—or how they impact what we do.
When we notice our thoughts and pay attention to their impact, we can figure out which ones are helpful—and which ones aren’t.
Reminding ourselves that thoughts are simply things we say in our heads—and not facts—can help us shift how we respond to them.
Studies show there are many effective ways we can change how we respond to our thoughts, including challenging them with a reality check or noticing them without trying to change them.
Try this technique
Pay attention to what’s running through your mind. Maybe you went over your Points® Budget and think you “ruined your week.” When you notice a thought like that, which isn’t helping you, try one of the strategies below.
Recognize its impact and shift the story.
How does thinking you ruined your week make you feel? What will it lead you to do? (Skipping your Workshop or not tracking altogether?) Stop that thought in its tracks and shift your story with a helpful thought. “One slip-up doesn’t mean I failed; it means I’m human. I’ll join my Virtual Workshop this week for extra support.”
Do a reality check.
Is it literally true that your week is ruined? Would you tell a friend who did the same thing that they ruined their week? Respond to that all-or-nothing thinking with a helpful thought. “I’m bummed this week didn’t go as planned, but I can totally get myself back on track.”
Accept & act.
Identify the script by naming the thought—imagine you’re looking at it from afar. Then, without trying to change that thought, commit to the action you do want to take. “Just because I think I ruined my week doesn’t mean I should give up. I can have that thought and still take steps toward my larger goals.”