During challenging times it can be difficult to remain positive and mentally tough. Even when the world is functioning more “normally” most of us experience stress and have negative thoughts. It’s normal to have negative thoughts, but when negative thoughts turn into negative thinking patterns your mental health can suffer. Negative thinking patterns, also known as cognitive distortions, can lead to or worsen anxiety and depression. The good news is, there are steps you can take to combat cognitive distortions.
The visual below from University of St. Augustine for Health Services looks at common thinking patterns and offers tips for how you can retrain your brain to think differently.