“What if I never write again?!” and Other Negative Thought Loops
The other day I sat down with the notion to write a blog, hoping to “bump into some inspiration,” as my friend would say. No ideas readily jumped out at me, so I scrolled through my old blogs. I have to be honest: I was kind of impressed. I’ve written some pretty cool blogs! And then I got intimidated and had the thought, “what if I never have another good idea for a blog or write anything good again?!”
It’s an old fear that I recognize: “what if I never get another good grade/job/boyfriend/[insert your irrational fear here]?” It’s a fear with no basis in fact that, when said out loud, actually sounds silly. And yet I still feel like a rabbit on high alert, whiskers quivering – not necessarily waiting for something bad to happen, but just feeling rather certain that nothing good will ever happen again.
Thankfully, the feeling is short-lived. It simply doesn’t stand up when compared to reality. There’s no evidence to support the idea that the goodness of the universe is finite and that any one individual such as myself can somehow use up their allotment.
So the next time you find yourself in in a negative thought loop, compare your thought to reality and see if it dissolves and dissipates. If it doesn’t, and it’s a stubborn rumination that you keep feeding evidence to (giving it more power), a simple reality check won’t work. True ruminations can only be calmed by a distraction. Time to watch a funny movie, get out of the house, or get into the tub. (Or try one of my all-time favorite videos – whose characters were made more popular by a recent television commercial: https://youtu.be/d79ArrL8VRg)
Negative thoughts and fears are sneaky. What’s an irrational idea that creeps up on you from time to time? Does it stand up to a reality check? What about ruminations – do you have any usual ones? If so, what’s the distraction you’ll try next time you find yourself stuck in one?
Good luck – and happy thoughts!
p.s. Your comments/likes are most welcome at https://www.facebook.com/jenfrankcoaching