Changing Thoughts
Handout:
Changing Thoughts and Perceptions.pdf
Stress Inducing Statements
- It probably won’t work
- I should not feel this way
- If you really cared you would…
- I am not as smart and attractive as he/she is
- He/She makes me so mad
- If I make a mistake, I’m a failure
- I can’t understand it
- I’m getting nervous
- I’ll disappoint them and let them down
- I’m not good enough
- I’ve never been any good at this.
- I’ll never do this right
- Everything depends on this
- If I don’t reach that goal, it will be terrible
- If others disagree with me, I must be wrong
- He/She ought to know what I’m feeling
- If I get a bad grade, I’m a failure.
- It must be my fault
- I will never get it done in time
- I’m not BYU material
- I’m stupid
- I should be more like…
- He/She would never go out with me
- I hate it when…
Stress Reducing Statements
- It is not worth getting upset over
- I can choose to not get angry
- My best is good enough
- I can handle it
- It’s okay to make mistakes
- One thing at a time
- Regardless of how I do, I can learn from it
- I hope it happens but I am not going to expect it to
- It is okay to be me and to feel the way I do
- I’ll compare myself with myself rather than with others
- Worry won’t help solve the problem
- I can do what I can do and that is all
- I am a fallible human being
- I’ll survive
- I am enough
- I’ll do what I can under the circumstances
- I can’t do anything about it right now
- Five years from now, who will care?
- Let’s put this problem into an eternal perspective
- I could have done better but at least I tried
- The Lord will support me in my trials
- No one can be love by everyone
- Other people are different from me, not better
- What is the worst thing that can happen?
- Getting upset will just make it worse
- I will cheer for, rather than compete with others
- That’s their problem, not mine
- It is not requisite that I run faster than I have strength
Build a Habit of Stress-Reducing Thinking
- Catch yourself in the act of stressing yourself out.
- Say to yourself, “That’s not true or helpful.”
- Think of what you would say to a friend in the same situation.
- Repeat that to yourself until you believe it