Squashing “ANTS” : How to combat negative thinking patterns

Have you ever stepped in an ant pile before? If you have, you know the feeling of sharp stings and the burning sensation that is caused by the ant bites. Everyone’s immediate response is to get rid of the ants as quickly as possible to return to a sense of comfort and peacefulness.

Ants are a suitable metaphor for explaining how negative thoughts can multiply and overtake our emotions, actions, and beliefs. The acronym ANTs stand for “All Negative Thoughts”. As humans, we are quick to remove ourselves from ants from a physical standpoint. However, many of us are not challenging or removing ourselves from all the negative thoughts (ANTs) from our minds. If we let all our negative thoughts roam around in our head freely, then these negative thoughts can become self- fulfilling prophecies. For example, if I think I won’t succeed, then I am less likely to try to succeed, and research shows that I am also less likely to have success due to the psychological impact of the thought.

The good news is that not only can we squash or remove the ants from a physical standpoint, but we can also squash these ants in our minds too! So, how do we combat ANTs? You need to recognize the thought, challenge the thought, and replace the thought. To help recognize the thought, it’s helpful to imagine our negative thoughts to be in 3 rd person. You may picture your negative thoughts as a nagging ant, a monster, a bully, or a person who wasn’t kind to you. Once you recognize your thought, you can begin to challenge the thought.

We have thousands of thoughts that roam through our heads throughout the week. We can’t control what thoughts enter our minds. However, it’s important to recognize and challenge thoughts that are weighing us down. Some negative thoughts that enter our mind are irrational beliefs. If this is the case, we need to challenge these negative thoughts by reminding ourselves that these thoughts are not true! Also, we may be giving more weight to certain thoughts than we should be. Think about a 10 point scale. Are you giving the weight of a 8 or 9 when a certain thought deserves the weight of a 2 or 3? If so, your fear and guilt may be preventing you from making the change you desire. Adjusting your perspective or challenging your irrational thoughts will make the ANTs more manageable.

Lastly, it’s time to replace our negative thoughts with a positive one. This is how we “squash” the ANTs in our minds. For example, one may have a thought, “I’m a loser, why would anyone like me?”Becomes, “I have many close friends, and I don’t have to be perfect to be likable.” The ANTs metaphor is something that I not only use with my clients, but with myself daily! So, next time your presented with any ANTs, be sure to recognize the thought, challenge it, and replace it with a positive one. Don’t let the ANTs roam freely in your head!