You know the kind of thought -the one that floats to the front of your brain after an unanswered text, a comment in a meeting that lands wrong, or the sight of your reflection at an unflattering angle.
Your heartbeat quickens, your stomach sinks, and the thought feels undeniably true in the moment.
To help us understand this negative thought pattern, we interviewed double-board-certified psychiatrist Dr. Daniel Amen. As a 12-time New York Times bestselling author, award-winning researcher, and founder of Amen Clinics, Dr. Amen brings clarity to this type of thinking, which he describes as Automatic Negative Thoughts or ANTs.
"I call Automatic Negative Thoughts 'ANTs' because one tiny negative thought can quickly become an infestation if you do not catch it," Dr.
Amen says.
One thought leads to another, and before long, you are not just having a bad moment. You are operating from a completely different version of reality.
Why Your Brain Believes Negative
Thoughts So Quickly
What makes ANTs tricky is how convincing.
It's not really a joke. These thoughts can actually do damage.
The Negative Thought Patterns to Watch For
According to Dr. Amen, ANTs tend to fall into these recognizable categories:
- All-or-nothing: Treating one mistake as total failure with no room for anything in between.
- Mind reading: Assuming you know exactly
How To Catch ANTs Before They
Spiral
The good news is that ANTs lose a significant amount of power the moment you notice them. Dr.
Amen's method starts with a simple pause and question.
"The first step is to notice them. When you feel sad, mad, nervous, or insecure, pause and ask yourself, what thought just went through my mind?" he says.
That single question interrupts the automatic part of the process and creates a small window to actually look at what is happening.
From there, the goal isn't to force toxic positivity onto the thought, but just to question it.
Dr. Amen suggests, "Challenge it like a good friend would. Is it true? Is it absolutely true? Is there another way to see this? What would I say to someone I love?"
That reframe tends to be the most useful part of the entire practice, because many people are tar harder on themselves than they would ever be with a friend, loved one, or even a colleague.
Dr. Amen also emphasizes that you are not obligated to accept every thought that crosses
