Summary
Did you know that your thoughts aren’t always true?
Do you find yourself having negative thoughts more often than you’d like?
Can our thoughts have the ability to create or reduce stress?
In this episode Sasha talks about how our thought health is not just an important area of health to focus on, but how our thoughts have the power to directly impact our physical health.
Sasha shares about Automatic Negative Thoughts or ANTs. There are 9 different ANTs that crawl around in our minds negatively impacting our health and creating additional stress in our lives. Understanding these 9 ANTs is the first step to being able to recognize them, and then do something about them.
Listen in as Sasha shares these ANTs and a few steps you can begin taking today to rid your mindset of these pesky thoughts and create more peace in your life.
Want to get clear on YOUR most purposeful priorities in the season of life you’re living right now? Snag a 1 Hour Purposeful Priorities Clarity Call: https://calendly.com/intentionalabundanceco/purposefulpriorities
Hey Sister,
Mental health isn’t always something people include when thinking about health.
Did you know that your thoughts aren’t always true?
Do you find yourself having negative thoughts more often than you’d like?
Can your thoughts have the ability to create or reduce stress?
ANTs are Automatic Negative Thoughts.
Understanding these 9 ANTs is the first step to being able to recognize them, and then do something about them.
Our thoughts literally control everything.
Negative thoughts create chemicals in our bodies that create negative effects physically.
Positive thoughts create chemicals in our bodies that have positive effects physically.
9 ways your thoughts are lying to you
1. Always or Never, Everyone or Nobody
These are extravagant thoughts that, 9 times out of 10, are lies.
Thoughts and statements like, “I’ll never be a success!” “My kids always make a mess!”
“Nobody cares!”
Jesus cares, I care, there are people around you that care.
To say, “Nobody cares,” is an untrue statement.
Stop and ask yourself, “Is that really true?”
2. Focus on the negative and ignore the good
These negative thoughts are unhealthy for us!
These are thoughts of gloom that take over even on the brightest day. It can be difficult to be around people with this ANT. (Or make it difficult for others to be around us if it is our ANT.)
This ANT turns us into a Debbie Downer or Negative Nancy. In any situation, all we can see is what’s wrong.
These negative thoughts limit your ability to live life.
Instead, focus on the good!
3. Fortune telling or predicting the worst
This ANT takes any situation that hasn’t happened yet and decides on the worst case scenario or outcome.
You predict bad things that could happen.
You always focus on what could go wrong.
Instead of being aware and prepared for a situation that may turn south, you focus on it to the point that it consumes your whole mind.
You worry so much about bad things happening that you, in turn, cause bad things to happen.
You can subconsciously make it a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Instead, focus on what can go right!
4. Mind reading or thinking you know what somebody else is thinking
Do you ever interrupt someone’s question or avoid even asking your questions because you think you already know what they are going to say?
It’s easier to simply avoid confrontation or uncomfortable conversations, right?
Maybe you deflect. You don’t take information as personal advice but instead look at how it applies to others.
The first time I heard about this ANT, I thought, “That’s my husband.”
I was mind-reading with that thought!
This ANT can even show up as obsessively rehearsing conversations in your mind.
Mind reading poorly affects relationships.
5. Thinking with your feelings or believing your feelings are true
It can be so easy to get caught up in our feelings and emotions. If we feel angry, our angry thoughts must be true, right? Not necessarily.
This has so much to do with mindset!
When you feel a certain way and you notice it negatively affects your thoughts, check that!
Having a thought doesn’t make it true. Examine it to see where it comes from.
6. Guilt beatings
These are thoughts of I should, must, have to, ought to, etc.
You set expectations for yourself without checking your priorities, responsibilities, and the season of life you’re in, and then you get upset with yourself for not meeting those expectations.
Don’t set expectations based on what culture, society, or other people are doing. Ask what God says, look at your season of life, and know your non-negotiables.
Instead of complaining we can use gratitude to flip our language and thoughts to, “I get to,” and, “I want to,” statements.
Your thoughts have the ability to create peace and enjoyment instead of turbulence in your life!
7. Negative labels
Words can encourage or tear down. Our thoughts are the same.
One negative thought about yourself or others like “they’re greedy or selfish” becomes a recurring thought and before you know it, that thought becomes a label or our perceived identity.
We may even take a positive label and twist its meaning to something negative.
Instead of celebrating someone’s strength and nurturing it in the right direction, we can be quick to assume the worst and judge them.
Instead of saying, “that child is bossy and demanding,” we could recognize leadership skills and teach them to delegate with kindness.
I have a plaque on the wall in my office that reads, “You don’t need it, but you will when I’m done selling it to you.” My friends joked that I could sell sunglasses to a blind man, and I took it as demeaning to me. I realized most people would love to be good at sales and this was a positive label.
8. Personalization
This ANT makes every situation about you. Maybe someone didn’t smile at you or speak to you today, and you feel hurt. Instead of assuming the worst, put yourself in their shoes. Maybe she was busy or didn’t see you.
This ANT can also show up as people pleasing to avoid the negative feelings that surface. Maybe you have a picky eater in your family. Instead of arguing at mealtimes, you have started cooking three different meals for supper.
Sister, there’s a better way!
Your husband or picky child can prepare something different if they do not want what you have cooked to eat.
To sum it up, you are not responsible for everyone else’s thoughts and actions, and the thoughts and actions of others are not always about you.
9. Blame
This ANT is similar to guilt beatings. You blame yourself for something that went wrong or you blame others.
You beat yourself up and focus on all the things that went wrong.
You complain or moan about a situation, but you don’t actually do anything to correct it. This ANT could show up in one extreme or the other: you believe everything is your fault and you are a failure or you avoid responsibility altogether and blame everyone else.
Blame makes you a victim of your circumstances.
You may have noticed a lot of these ANTs overlap and actually lead to more ANTs!
What do we do?
ANTs can be pesky in small numbers, but like their namesake, they can quickly become a big problem if left unattended.
You have the power to stop them!
If you are having a picnic and notice an ant, you can keep the meal from being overtaken by taking action.
The same goes with your mind. Become aware of your thoughts. What are the most common ANTs for you?
When you notice one coming up, check it! Investigate it before you believe it and chase it.
Write down your thoughts!
Keep an inventory of what is happening.
Do the mindset work! Address it: Look at it and say, “How is this not true?” Test it against the scripture Philippians 4:8.
Then, rewrite it with Truth aka scripture!
Related links:
Episode 102: 6 Scripture Verses To Help You Take Thoughts Captive
Episode 185: Healthy Habits to Sustain Balance Through Changing Seasons
Scriptures Referenced:
2 Corinthians 10:5
Philippians 4:8
Proverbs 23:7
Transcription
Coming Soon
More about your Podcast Host
Your Host,Sasha Star Robertson is an Intentional Living & Biblical Mindset Coach for busy Christian moms, wife of 14 years to her best friend, boy mom x2 (blessed by adoption), travel addict, and Jesus freak. She is the founder of The Intentional Abundance Co., curator of the Life & Goals Planner, host of the Intentional MomLife with Jesus Podcast & co-host of the Faithful Family Fortress Podcast. Sasha is passionate about the call in Isaiah 61:1-2 and believes that God called her to set mothers free from the stress, overwhelm, and burden associated with modern day motherhood and instead help them live in the freedom of Christ through Biblical mindset & balanced schedules.
Would you benefit from having a coach helping you live Productively Peaceful days digging into Faithful Foundations, Purposeful Priorities, Mindset Mastery, & Simple Selfcare? This question is rhetorical, everyone would! Schedule a consult with Sasha to learn more about the IAM Coaching Program and to see if you’d be a good it. https://calendly.com/intentionalabundanceco/iamconsult
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