I’ve read tons of writings that refer to our messed up thoughts. Thoughts play such a large role in what we do and how we do it. We have to have self-awareness to understand how to look at a thought and determine if it is true.

When it comes to my bad habits, I have all-or-nothing thinking and that is what leads to the spiral. If I slip, whether it be alcohol or a donut when I’m trying to lose weight, the feeling of my success goes down the drain and I’m left with my thought of, “oh well, I already slipped so I might as well do it again.”

When I do something, I go all the way and its both a good and a bad thing. This goes hand-in-hand with the all-or-nothing thinking. Things have to be perfect or its no good. These are the thoughts that I need to control. I have to tell myself that it doesn’t have to be perfect and that aiming for perfection actually stands in the way of success.

I also fall into the trap of mind reading. I assume others look down on me and this feeling overwhelms me and it affects the perception of self. I almost make the perception come true because I become paralyzed and do not take steps to show that I am a capable person.

There are so many types of thought distortions that we naturally fall into. Some more than others. I try to take a step back and replace my negative thought with a positive one. It is not easy. I find that journaling the negative and positive thoughts to be helpful. Sometimes getting it out of our heads makes a difference.