We all have them.
Those little thoughts that suddenly appear and make everything feel worse.
“I can’t do this.”
“I’m never going to get better.”
“Everyone is judging me.”
“What’s the point?”
“Something bad is going to happen.”
These are ANTs, or Automatic Negative Thoughts.
The good news is that you don’t have to believe every thought that enters your mind.
You can notice it, question it, and choose a different response.
🧠 First: Notice the ANT
The first step is simply to catch the thought.
You might notice:
“I’m never going to recover.”
Instead of immediately accepting it as truth, pause and say:
“Wait. That’s an ANT.”
You don’t have to fight the thought.
Just notice it.
That small pause creates an opportunity to respond differently.
🐜 The 5-Step ANT-Killing Strategy
When a negative thought appears, use these five questions.
1. Is it true?
Ask yourself:
“Is this thought actually true?”
For example:
ANT:
“I’ll never get better.”
Ask:
“Is it really true that I’ll never improve?”
Look for evidence rather than automatically believing the thought.
2. Is it absolutely true?
Sometimes a thought contains a small piece of truth but turns it into an absolute.
For example:
“Nobody understands me.”
Is it absolutely true?
Probably not.
Maybe some people don’t understand.
But perhaps there is one person who does.
Removing the absolute can change the way you see the situation.
3. How does this thought make me feel?
Notice what happens inside you.
Does the thought make you feel:
💔 Sad?
😟 Anxious?
😡 Angry?
😞 Hopeless?
😨 Afraid?
😣 Overwhelmed?
Simply identifying the emotion can help you step back from the thought.
🌱 4. How would I feel without the thought?
Now imagine taking the ANT away for a moment.
Ask:
“How would I feel if I didn’t believe this thought?”
Maybe you would feel:
✨ More hopeful
💪 More capable
🌿 Calmer
❤️ More encouraged
🌻 More motivated
This question helps you see that the thought itself may be contributing to how you feel.
🔄 5. Flip the Thought
Now replace the original thought with something more balanced and useful.
Don’t replace it with something you don’t believe.
Instead, look for a statement that is realistic and empowering.
For example:
ANT:
“I can’t do this.”
Flip:
“I can take this one step at a time.”
ANT:
“I’ll never get better.”
Flip:
“I don’t know exactly what my recovery will look like, but I can keep working toward what matters to me.”
ANT:
“Everyone thinks I’m a burden.”
Flip:
“I need support right now, and needing support doesn’t make me less valuable.”
The goal isn’t to pretend everything is perfect.
The goal is to find a thought that serves you better.
🛑 Try a Pattern Interrupt
Sometimes you need to interrupt the thought before it takes over.
You can say:
“Stop.”
Then take a breath.
Get up.
Stretch.
Walk around.
Drink some water.
Look outside.
Change your environment.
The video describes this as a pattern interrupt, giving you an opportunity to move away from the automatic negative pattern and toward a healthier response.
📝 Write the ANT Down
If a thought keeps repeating, write it down.
Use this simple worksheet:
My ANT:
Is it true?
Is it absolutely true?
How does it make me feel?
How would I feel without this thought?
What is a healthier way to look at it?
What is one action I can take?
Writing the thought down can make it easier to examine instead of letting it continue running around in your head.
🧠 Remember: Thoughts Are Not Always Facts
One of the most important reminders from the discussion is:
You don’t have to believe every thought you think.
A thought can feel incredibly convincing and still be incomplete, exaggerated, or unhelpful.
Instead of saying:
“This is true because I thought it.”
Try:
“I’m having this thought. Let me check whether it’s true.”
That small change can create space between you and the thought.
🌿 Practice, Practice, Practice
Changing an automatic thought pattern takes practice.
You may catch yourself having the same ANT again tomorrow.
That’s okay.
The goal isn’t perfection.
It’s repetition.
Catch it.
Question it.
Flip it.
Practice again.
Over time, the healthier response can become easier to access.
The video emphasizes that creating a new pattern requires repeated practice, much like training a skill.
🐜 Common ANTs to Watch For
The discussion identifies several common patterns of automatic negative thinking:
⚫ All-or-Nothing Thinking
“Everything is either good or bad.”
Try:
“There may be something difficult here, but that doesn’t mean everything is bad.”
📉 Less-Than Thinking
“Everyone else is doing better than me.”
Try:
“My journey is different. I don’t have to measure my progress against someone else’s.”
🌧️ Focusing Only on the Bad
“Nothing good is happening.”
Try:
“What is one thing that is going okay right now?”
😔 Guilt-Beating
“I should have done better.”
Try:
“I did what I could with what I knew and had at the time.”
🏷️ Labeling
“I’m lazy.”
“I’m broken.”
“I’m a failure.”
Try:
“I’m struggling with something right now. That doesn’t define who I am.”
🔮 Fortune-Telling
“I know this is going to end badly.”
Try:
“I don’t know what will happen yet.”
🧠 Mind-Reading
“I know exactly what they think about me.”
Try:
“I don’t actually know what they’re thinking unless they tell me.”
⏪ “If Only I Had…”
“If only things had been different, I would be happy.”
Try:
“I can’t change the past, but I can decide what I want to do with today.”
👉 Blaming
“Everything is their fault.”
Try:
“What is within my control right now?”
❤️ For Brain Injury Survivors
This strategy can be especially meaningful after brain injury.
Recovery can bring thoughts that are difficult to carry:
“I’m not the person I used to be.”
“My life is over.”
“I’ll never be independent again.”
“I’m a burden.”
“Everyone else is moving forward without me.”
Instead of forcing yourself to think positively, start by asking:
Is this completely true?
Then ask:
What do I want?
And finally:
What is one thing I can do today that moves me toward it?
The speaker in the workshop shared her own experience of recovering from a traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury, describing a long recovery and the realization that wellness might not look exactly like life before the accident. Her story emphasizes being open to the possibility of a new version of yourself rather than assuming the future must look exactly like the past.
🌻 You Don’t Have to Kill Every ANT at Once
You don’t need to completely change your thinking overnight.
Start with one ANT.
Catch it.
Question it.
Flip it.
Then take one small action.
Maybe your action is:
🚶 Take a five-minute walk.
📝 Write down the thought.
📞 Talk to someone you trust.
🧘 Take a few slow breaths.
🌞 Step outside.
🙏 Express gratitude.
🎧 Listen to something encouraging.
❤️ Remind yourself of something that is still going well.
Small actions can help interrupt the cycle and give you a different place to focus your attention.
💗 Love Love Brain Thoughts
You are going to have negative thoughts.
That doesn’t mean you’re doing recovery wrong.
It doesn’t mean you’re weak.
It doesn’t mean you are failing.
It means you’re human.
The goal isn’t to have a mind that never thinks negative thoughts.
The goal is to learn that you can respond to those thoughts instead of automatically following them.
So the next time an ANT shows up, pause.
🐜 Notice it.
❓ Question it.
🌱 Flip it.
👣 Take one small action.
And remember:
You are not every thought that enters your mind.
Your story is still being written.
There may be more possibility ahead than your ANT wants you to believe.
Do you Love Love YOUR Brain?