Don’t Feed the ANTs
ANTs – Automatic Negative Thoughts.
I was reminded of this fun mnemonic in my wellbeing class two weeks ago. Much like the insect that can show up at unwanted times and in unwanted places, automatic negative thoughts (ANTs) can pop up to try and ruin your current mood. If you’ve ever had a hard time sleeping because you’re replaying an embarrassing moment from you past, you’re very familiar with these pesky thoughts.
Everyone gets them. They come from your brain’s amygdala (or as my speech teacher personified it, our good friend Amy) and it is a natural response to your brain’s way of trying to help. Amy Amygdala in the brain says, “I perceive a threat! Let’s focus on it for a while! Be safe!!” However, if you’ve ever worked with someone who was zealously trying to help, but was focused on the wrong things, you know that an overzealous helper can actually make things harder. Hello sleepless nights! (The ants go marching one by one, hurrah, hurrah…)
The trick to dealing with ANTs is the same trick that you would do with ants at a picnic… Don’t feed them. Don’t give them any extra time or attention because the more you feed your automatic negative thoughts, the more of their friends they’ll recruit and before you know it, they’ll be marching you down a deep dark hole.
When the ANTs take over, it is known as rumination (or more accurately brooding rumination) and this can quickly take you into a downward spiral that is very difficult to break away from. All is not lost, however! Just as you can spiral downwards, you can also spiral upwards. Doing so is a technique known as broaden and build.
Now, simply saying “Don’t feed the ANTs” makes broadening and building sound easier than it is. If you’ve ever been caught in a rumination spiral, you know that it can actually be quite difficult to just ignore those thoughts. Amy Amygdala in your brain does not like to be ignored. So, here are 3 broaden and build tips for getting rid of your ANTs.
Notice and name
I’ve found that verbally acknowledging an ANT helps me better decide what to do with it. It goes something like this, “Hi Amy! Thanks for letting me know there’s a potential threat to something I value here. I’ve got this though. We’re going to be ok.” As ridiculous as it sounds to be talking to my own amygdala, I’ve found that that level of weird actually helps me stop the ANTs in their place. Maybe it’s the humor of it all?
Either way, the real technique that is happening here is called notice and name. When you notice and name something, you bring it into reality in a way that makes it easier to deal with it. It puts the power back into your hands and helps you be proactive instead of simply reactive. Additionally, adding gratitude to this moment can rewire your brain so it’s in a more positive space.
Move a muscle, change a thought
I first heard this phrase from a classmate in my Stress, Coping, and Resilience class and I fell in love. This tactic works best for ANTs that have no solution (see the reference to that embarrassing moment that happened years ago). A change of movement, scenery, or task can help break you out of dwelling on those uncomfortable thoughts. I’ve found, for instance, that Yoga helps quiet my mind through breathing and movement.
In general, however, be sure not to overuse this tactic because if the ANT is about something you need to do and you try to ignore it by moving along, you are employing an avoidant coping mechanism that can have a terrible interest rate for when you need to catch up later. This is the opposite of broadening and building.
Talk to a pest control expert
By pest control expert, I mean a therapist or a good friend who will help you see the untruths presented by the ANTs. You don’t need to try and tackle an ANT problem by yourself. Social support is an incredible catalyst for moving into a healthier headspace. Often talking through your thoughts with someone else is the best way to help those ANTs move along. Turns out ANTs don’t like to be outnumbered.
All in all, remember that ANTs are a normal and natural thing so there is no need to feel guilty when they pop up. (Ironically, feeling guilty is like laying down a line of breadcrumbs to invite more ANTs). Once an ANT pops up, just makes sure that you don’t welcome them in and let them stay for too long.
My great grandpa had a phrase that my family adopted for a while. He said, “For every worry under the sun there is a remedy or there is none. If there be one, hurry and find it. If there be none, never mind it!”
Thanks for reading with me today. I hope you find your day to be pest free.