“Your mind is a powerful thing. When you fill it with positive thoughts, your life will start to change.” – Anonymous
Our dominant thoughts are powerful things. They get planted into our subconscious minds, becoming the default programming that shapes our experiences. What we think about affects our behaviors. The things we say and do then become our habits. Ultimately, we determine our character by the sum of our habits, and that sets the entire course for our lives. The key to a positive, healthy life lies in how we think. While you can’t control the negative thoughts that pop up in your mind from time to time, how you handle them is up to you.
Individuals with eating disorders often hold a negative or distorted view of themselves and their bodies. These highly critical thoughts can result in feelings of shame, anxiety, or disgust that often trigger weight control behaviors and fuel the cycle of negative self-evaluation. Cognitive-behavioral therapy, or CBT, is the leading treatment for adults and youth with eating disorders. It’s based on the theory that one’s thoughts, emotions, and behaviors are interconnected and can be restructured to support new, healthier thoughts and actions.
- Cognitive factors include: Over-evaluation of weight and shape, negative body image, core beliefs about self-worth, negative self-evaluation, and perfectionism
- Behavioral factors include: Weight-control behaviors including dietary restraint, restriction, binge-eating, purging behaviors, self-harm, body checking, and body avoidance
Guided by a skilled therapist, CBT helps people to examine which specific factors are maintaining their disorder and sets personalized goals for the various phases of their treatment. Bolstering CBT therapy with a more positive outlook in general is a smart way to get on the path to a joyful existence.
Positive thinking will improve your life in every way, so start replacing your old negative thoughts with new optimistic ones. Try these strategies to create your personalized constructive thought processes:
- Take a look at the people you surround yourself with. Are they positive people always looking for the good in life, or do their attitudes trend toward the negative? Instead of hanging around people who will accompany you in your misery, find those who will lift you up. The more positivity you have in your life, the brighter the world around you will become.
- Did you know that smiling has been scientifically proven to improve your mood and thought patterns? The muscles in your forehead are directly linked to your brain’s emotional center, and creasing them into a frown can make you moody and depressed. Smiling, on the other hand, sends positive, happy thoughts to your mind.
- Be conscious of your thoughts. Whenever you catch yourself thinking negatively, make a conscious effort to replace it with a positive thought. It will become a good-for-you habit in no-time!
If you need help creating your happier, more fulfilling life, you’ve come to the right place. Reach out to us anytime.