Chapter 1: Embracing Self-Development

In recent times, I have immersed myself in self-improvement, particularly through various YouTube videos that focus on enhancing and maintaining mental well-being. One informative video highlighted that individuals experience approximately 70,000 to 80,000 thoughts daily, with a staggering 80% of them being negative. The video offered strategies to mitigate the persistence of these detrimental thoughts over time.

According to a mental health professional, by cultivating self-awareness and recognizing negative thought patterns, we can distance ourselves from these harmful notions. By reducing the focus on negative thoughts, their frequency diminishes, ultimately leading to their gradual disappearance.

As someone who thrives on creativity, I decided to devise my own approach to manage negative thoughts, complementing the advice shared in the video. My method involved CATEGORIZING my thoughts rather than merely identifying them.

The categories I developed were based on the variety of thoughts I routinely encountered throughout the day, which I grouped into four main types:

• Negative thoughts
• Useless thoughts
• Positive thoughts
• Productive thoughts

Once I established these categories, I began mentally assigning each thought to its respective category. For example, if I found myself thinking about someone who piqued my interest, I would label it as “useless thoughts.”

While I remain uncertain about the effectiveness of my strategy for keeping negative thoughts at bay, this labeling process has transformed how I perceive my thoughts.

Negative thoughts?

Negative thoughts?

Negative thoughts?

Negative thoughts?

Negative thoughts?

Negative thoughts?

Useless thoughts?

Negative thoughts?

Negative thoughts?

Negative thoughts?

Negative thoughts?

Negative thoughts?

Useless thoughts?

Negative thoughts?

Negative thoughts?

Negative thoughts?

Negative thoughts?

Negative thoughts?

Productive thoughts?

Negative thoughts?

Negative thoughts?

Useless thoughts?

Useless thoughts?

Useless thoughts?

Useless thoughts?

Negative thoughts? And so on.

I believe you can see the direction I’m heading. I acknowledge that navigating this territory can be challenging and may present significant resistance initially. Nevertheless, I am committed to this journey.

Having endured numerous emotional challenges in life, I have come to appreciate the vital role of maintaining good mental health. While the labels may not appear appealing right now, I have taken a meaningful step toward fostering self-awareness and personal growth.

Look! There's a positive thought right there!

Bhavnaa Narula, 2023. Thank you for taking the time to read this. May you all be blessed with excellent mental health.

Chapter 2: The Power of Thought Labeling

In the video "When you SHOULD NOT label your thoughts as 'OCD,'" the speaker discusses the potential downsides of labeling thoughts and when it might be detrimental to one's mental health.

The second video, "Labelling Thoughts," delves into how categorizing thoughts can affect our perception and emotional well-being, offering valuable insights into this topic.