Are there ANTS in your relationship?
Hey! Are there ANTS in your relationship?
ANTS stands for Automatic Negative Thinking. Sometimes we get into patterns of listening and interpreting that create difficulties in our relationships and serve to reinforce thoughts that are destructive to us and to our relationships. Negative thinking catches in a loop that actually changes our brain chemistry and teaches us to only look for the negative.
Please remember that we always find what we look for. If I look for negative, I will always find it, If I look for positive I will surely find it.
Not sure if you have ANTS in your relationship? Here are common ANTS that you may recognize:
Nine Categories of ANTS:
Always/never thinking: thinking in words like always, never, no one, everyone, every time, everything
Focusing on the negative: seeing only the bad in a situation
Fortune-telling: predicting the worst possible outcome
Mind reading: believing that you know what others are thinking even though they haven’t told you
Thinking with your feelings: believing negative feelings without ever checking them out
Guilt beating: thinking in words like should, must, ought or have to
Labeling: attaching a negative label to yourself or to someone else
Personalizing: investing innocuous events with personal meaning
Blaming: blaming someone else for your own problem
Changing your negative thinking will actually change your brain chemistry. Negativity will create defensive behaviors. Positivity will enhance your parasympathetic nervous system and you will feel relaxed and happier.
