Inside the ANThill of Automatic Negative Thoughts by Elizabeth Blanchard
How many thoughts do you have in a minute? An hour? A day? How many of those are negative? Many of us struggle with automatic negative thoughts – ANTs – that seem to take over our minds and never fully go away. This month, I learned about these thoughts and how to interact with them with the Hey, I’m Here Squad.
While the average person has 60,000 to 80,000 thoughts per day, I would not be surprised if I had 100,000 or more thoughts per day. It often feels like my thoughts are racing and repeating every other second, which makes sense considering that 95% of thoughts are repeated from the day before. On top of that, about 80% of our thoughts are negative – that’s an ANT infestation! There are several different types of ANTs, such as mind reading (or rather, thinking that you can read the negative thoughts of others), comparing yourself with others, and blaming yourself for things that aren’t your fault.
Above all, I am a fortune teller. By that, I mean I have an abundance of fortune-telling ANTs – these could also be classified as “what-ifs” or catastrophizing what will happen in the future. One example of this is when I am driving. Any time there is a “close call” – even something as common as traffic slowing down suddenly – the worst-case scenario will immediately play out in my brain as though I got into an accident and people died (even though nothing actually happened). My therapist’s suggestion to combat these thoughts of “What if I hit the car in front of me?” is to simply ask “But what if I don’t? What if I get to my destination safely?” – which is a much more likely outcome. Reminding myself of that, while also recognizing that I am a very careful driver, helps to quiet those ANTs.
Another type of ANT that I struggle with frequently is all-or-nothing/black-and-white thinking. I have always been a perfectionist, thanks to my mom who instilled that in me from a very young age. Today, this manifests as thoughts like, “If I’m not good at this thing right away, then I’m terrible and should quit”, or even as extreme as, “I said a careless, mean thing, so now I don’t deserve to live.” Logically, I know that everybody makes mistakes and practice makes perfect, but my mind tends to think that those truths and nuances don’t apply to me. When these thoughts come up and I recognize them, I make an effort to gently explain to myself that I am in fact human, and it is okay for me to have the same imperfections that everyone else does.
When you inevitably have these ANTs, remember to be gentle with yourself and your mind. Recognize that it’s normal to have these thoughts, and also that it is okay to simply notice them and let them pass through. Reaffirm the positive through an encouraging mantra or practicing gratitude. Most importantly, remember that you are not your thoughts.
Additional tools for when you may be in crisis:
U.S. Crisis Text Line: 741-741
Ohio Mobile Response and Stabilization Services: 1-888-418-MRSS (6777)