Turning Negative Thoughts into Positive Ones

Whenever you struggle with your anxiety, it is often from fearful thoughts. This can 
happen at any time, but a lot of people have noticed that it is worse in the fall season. 
You might even start noticing it near the end of summer when the kids are getting ready 
to go back to school, your vacation is winding down, and you start working on changing 
your routine.

If during this time, you are struggling with your anxiety, and feel like your negative 
thoughts are only making it worse, it might be time to turn them into positive thoughts. 


Recognizing Irrational Thoughts

The easiest way to start turning your negative thoughts into positive ones to reduce 
anxiety is by recognizing and rationalizing your irrational thoughts. Everyone has these 
types of thoughts, but people with anxiety tend to really focus on them, and often turn 
them into something they’re not. Irrational thoughts are ones that are based more on 
your fears and worries, and less on what could (or has) realistically happened. 

For example, if you keep getting panic attacks when thinking about your kids going off 
to school for the fall season, where are those negative thoughts coming from? Are you 
really concerned something is going to happen to them, or is your anxiety creating 
something irrational?

Sometimes it helps to write down everything that is giving you anxiety, highlighting all 
the negative thoughts, then deciding whether it is a rational thought or not. 


Finding the Worst Case Scenario

This goes hand-in-hand with the previous tip, as people with anxiety are often seeing 
the worst case scenario. Instead of looking at all the possible options, you are only 
focusing on the negative. Not just regular negative situations, but ones you have 
created in your mind. 

Think of something that gives you a lot of anxiety, such as going in for a job interview. It 
is normal to feel a little nervous and anxious, but if you have such bad anxiety that you 
are getting panic attacks and can’t go to your interview, it is time to figure out why that 
is.

What is the worst possible thing that could happen? In most cases, you might end up 
saying the wrong thing, and have to correct yourself. You might not get the job, but think 
about it like this: If an interviewer takes one thing you said out of nervousness instead of 
really looking at your qualifications and what you bring to this job, do you really want 
that job? Probably not. The worst case scenario is that you don’t get the job, but if you 
don’t go to your interview, you’re not getting it anyway. 

Your anxiety has completely sabotaged your chances by convincing you the worst case 
scenario has already happened.


What is Something Good Right Now?

Another way to reverse your negative thoughts and make them positive is to think of 
good things in your life right now. If you are struggling with fall anxiety, don’t think about 
your worries this season, but what you are looking forward to.

Maybe you are happy to have a little more time during the day with your kids back in 
school, you love the warm fall décor that comes out this time of year, or you are one 
step closer to your favorite holiday: Christmas. 


