4 tips for dealing with negative thinking when the world seems doomed

From politics to our home lives, the world can be an overwhelming place. But being immobilised by negative thoughts doesn't help anyone.

Political turmoil is just one source of stress for many people (iStock )

Whether you’re wringing your hands over the unpredictability of Trump or Brexit, or distracted by anxiety towards your relationship, there’s nothing fun about being plagued by negative thoughts.

A recent survey by Harris Poll for the American Psychological Association showed that the divisive 2016 presidential election in the US, from which Donald Trump emerged victorious, 52 per cent of adults in the US said that the race was a very or somewhat significant source of stress. Charities like the Mental Health Foundation, meanwhile, have advised those worried by the uncertainty of Brexit - whatever your political leaning - on how to deal with their emotions.

Negative emotions are of course essential for us to evaluate the world around us, and to be able to achieve the balance which allows us to feel happy, too. Feeling rubbish can be a sign that our relationships, work lives or the world around us just aren’t quite right.

Russ Harris, the author of The Happiness Trap, argues that 80 per cent of our thoughts are negative in some way because of how we have evolved. So miserable at a manageable level is, it seems, OK. Issues arise when these become uncontrollable.

Dr Alison Jenaway, Consultant psychiatrist in Medical Psychotherapy at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, tells The Independent she generally treats patients who are preoccupied with issues with their families, relationships, their children and work, but that political issues can correlate with these feelings.

Negative thoughts are harmful to us, she says, when they are “clearly irrational or unrealistic”.

“For example, in depression someone who appears to have been a good parent will say that she is a ‘failure’ as a parent because she forgot to fill in a form for the school trip, or a patient with anorexia who is underweight, hates their body and thinks that they are fat," she says.

Dr Jenaway says that negative thoughts can be combated by stripping away the emotions from a situation and considering the evidence, and training our minds to identify what is and isn’t real. This is the idea behind Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, she explains.

“The therapist would also be trying to help the patient see when they are making thinking errors, for example ‘if one person doesn’t like me then no-one likes me and I will never have a friend’. Once the patient can catch themselves having these thoughts, they can try and stand back from the negative thought and question how true it really is.”

Another approach that Dr Jenaway recommends is treating yourself with the kindness you would offer to a friend.

“Write down negative, self critical thoughts and then respond to them as you would to a friend who thought that,” explains Dr Jenaway. Although perhaps not the most pleasant experience, Dr Jenaway says this is a trick she often uses and one that works.

Some of us, she adds, are just more grumpy than others. “There is not much one can do to change that.” It may be worth helping that person with mindfulness meditation to develop a non-judgemental attitude. Perhaps they could do some gratitude practice every day by finding three things that you are grateful for every evening.”

The situation can become complex, however, when negative thoughts are true to some extent. Dr Jenaway gives the example of a parent who has severely neglected a child. At that point, a medical professional needs to step in.

Overall, Dr Jenaway adds: “It is better to help people focus their worry and problem solving on the things they actually have power to do something about. So for example, I could worry and worry about global warming and feel helpless about it, or I can channel that into recycling, voting Green, joining Friends of the Earth. At that point, it is better to say to myself ‘well I am doing what I can, but I cannot change the world on my own’ - again a realistic, compassionate way of being with myself.”