354 — How to Stop a Negative Thought Spiral in 2 Minutes (Backed by Science)

Pick up a copy of The Mental Strength Playbook.

Maybe you replay a conversation that already happened, second-guess a decision you already made, or keep going back over what you should've done differently. A negative thought spiral is hard to break and the more you try to suppress a thought, the more it will keep popping back up.

So today I'm sharing one of my favorite mental strength plays to literally get unhelpful thoughts out of your head. I'll walk you through the play, the surprising study on why it works, and exactly how to do it right.

Some of the things I talk about are:

Why you usually can't think your way out of a negative loop (the thing keeping it going is the thinking itself).

The study that shows how to change which thoughts you believe.

The one version of this that doesn't work at all, no matter how hard you try it.

How to run the play, step by step.

Why you have to write the ugly, honest version of the thought.

The mistakes that make this play backfire.

Why this isn't for every negative thought—and how to know when it's the wrong play and you need a different one.

Related Episodes ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

284 — Overthinking? Here’s the 3-Word Fix You Need to Stop the Spiral

⁠328 — The Best Way to Solve a Problem When You Feel Hopeless: Brainstorm the Worst Ideas First

Links & Resources

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