Understanding Thought Patterns
Our thoughts shape who we are, how we act, and, ultimately, the outcomes we receive. Similarly, what we believe about ourselves and our abilities is central to how we behave. Part of our belief structure is the beliefs we have about our health behaviors. Sometimes those beliefs can be constructive, such as “Eating an apple a day keeps me regular,” and sometimes those beliefs can be destructive, such as “I can’t go out with friends without drinking.”
But, there is good news. We can reshape our destructive beliefs. The very first step to changing is recognizing when they’re happening—only then can we replace the negative thought with a more constructive, positive thought. Let’s take a look at how we might be unintentionally building up negative beliefs.
Types of Destructive Thought Patterns
Overgeneralization
When we engage in overgeneralization, we draw faulty conclusions from a single experience. For example, we may go out to dinner with friends and eat or drink more than we had anticipated. An overgeneralization might be then thinking, “I can’t control myself when I go out with my friends, so I guess I can’t go out with them anymore.” A more constructive thought would be, “What happened at dinner that led me to overindulge? What can I do differently next time to stay on track with my health goals?”
Catastrophizing
Catastrophizing is believing that something is much worse than it really is. An example of catastrophizing is thinking, “Remembering to use the scale is so hard! It’s impossible and I can’t do it!” A more constructive thought would be, “What about using the scale is difficult for me? What can I do to help me remember?”
All-or-nothing
All-or-nothing thinking describes how our brain tends to see the world in extremes: we are either perfect or a failure. It’s 100% or 0%. We either followed our plan perfectly that day or we blew it. But the truth is, one decision that isn’t in line with our goals does not mean that our next choice can’t be. One choice does not mean we need to give up for the rest of the day or restart after the weekend.
With these thought patterns in mind, we must first recognize that it’s normal for us to have these thoughts. After all, these patterns have been given names precisely because they’re so common! But, we must also realize that we have the power to change our thoughts. We can recognize when our brain is going down an unhelpful path and we can switch course. We can replace old thoughts with new ones that align with our goals.