If you knew how powerful your thoughts were,

you would never think a bad thought again.

~ Unknown

rona divider

 

brain 962588 340Ever dip into the chocolate cake, tell yourself the diet is ruined, then eat the whole thing?

Or, lose it with your toddler, berate yourself for being a terrible mom, then find you’re crabby and impatient for the rest of the day?

Perhaps you’ve been passed over for a promotion, think you don’t have what it takes, and lose motivation to strive to be your best?

Each of these negative self-talk scenarios results in a behavior that is self-defeating. Experts call these thoughts ANTs (Automatic Negative Thoughts.) We all have them. Just like ants at a picnic, if you allow them to run wild, they will ruin the quality of your day. And if you’ve ever had an ant infestation in your home, you know the destruction they can cause to its infrastructure.

ANTs in your brain are just as insidious and destructive. Without your realizing it, they shape your emotions, choices, and behaviors. And just as carpenter ants silently destroy the structure of your home, ANTs have a deleterious effect on your physical well-being. They eat away at your happiness.

 

The Power of Thought 

Every thought we have releases chemicals that instantly flood our bodies with neuropeptides that impact our physiology in a constructive or destructive way:

  • Positive thoughts release chemicals that help us feel happy, calm, and hopeful.
  • Negative thoughts release chemicals that make us feel sad, anxious, and stressed.
  • These chemicals impact our internal systems and change us on a cellular level. 

 

R.A.I.D. for ANTs 

R.A.I.D (Recognize, Acknowledge, Inquire & Disarm) is effective against the ANTs in your brain!

STEP 1: Recognize your ANTs. They come in many forms:

  • Limiting beliefs – I’m not good enough. I always attract the wrong guy. I’m easily distracted. I could never do that.
  • Blame and victimization – This traffic is making me late. The kids put me in a bad mood. If only I had more time.
  • Complaints – My spouse never listens. Washington is ruining our country. My boss is always on me.

STEP 2: Acknowledge that ANTs exist and create awareness so that you can stop them in their tracks. Don’t let them crawl around in your brain unattended. They have a tendency to multiply.

Use your daily routines as cues that can trigger you to stop and take inventory of your thoughts. Brushing your teeth, pouring a cup of coffee, lacing up your shoes before a workout, pulling into your driveway at the end of the day can be used as triggers that can remind you to check in with yourself. I’ve created a habit of noticing my thoughts when I am in the shower, at stoplights, and picking my daughter up from school.

STEP 3: Inquire as to the validity of the negative thought as soon as you notice it. Is it true that: I am a terrible mom?  My husband never listens to me?  My boss is always on me?  My diet is ruined?

Most ANTs are not based in fact or truth, yet they unwittingly run our lives. I had an undetected ANT for years “I’m not smart enough,” which prevented me from pursuing promotions in my early career in high-tech sales.

STEP 4: Disarm your ANTs. As soon as you notice a negative thought, disarm it by observing it in a nonjudgmental way: “Isn’t that interesting?” Then replace the disempowering thought with one that is more empowering: I am good enough. Tomorrow I will leave earlier to avoid the traffic. I am on top of my game. My boss is doing the best she can while dealing with her own stressors in life.

As we look at our ANTs more objectively, they begin to lose their negative charge. Replacing them with positive and constructive thoughts will transmit chemicals through our bodies that shift our feelings from anger and frustration to calm and hopefulness. This results in greater health, well-being, and happiness.

 

Natural ANT Repellant

We all have a built-in, natural repellant to keep these ANTs at bay. We simply need to access it.

Meditation is an effective method to help us access our natural repellant. It offers a portal to the contents of our mind. During meditation, we observe our thoughts as they arise and practice letting them pass—without judgment—so that in our lives we can do the same.

 

What ANTs are eating away at your happiness?

Feel free to contact me with questions, comments, or if you would like further suggestions on how to get those ANTs—before they get you! ????