Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable ~ if anything is excellent or praiseworthy ~ think about such things.
~Philippians 4:8
Driving to the gym this morning the snow in the adjacent field sparkled. The white blanket appeared untouched except for an area in the middle of the field. There were a series of circular tracks through the snow ~ a beautiful reminder of the deer who had been out earlier this morning. Their tracks are a lot like our thoughts ~ marking the terrain of our minds and hearts ~ always leaving a trail behind. Our brains are always listening.
Our self-talk ~ whether it is compassionate or condemning ~ has physical, emotional, and spiritual ramifications. Certain thought patterns can leave tracks that inevitably take us to a place of anxiety, sadness, and fatigue. Dr. Daniel Amen, calls these thoughts A.N.T.S. ~ automatic negative thoughts.
Dr. Amen first coined this term in the 1990’s after a difficult day counseling clients in his psychiatry practice. When he arrived home he found thousands of ants in his kitchen. As he began to clean up the floor, Dr. Amen made an interesting connection. The ants that had infested his kitchen were a lot like the negative thoughts that infested the minds of his clients. So, the acronym A.N.T.S. was born.
Automatic negative thoughts rob us of joy and happiness. Every time we have a negative, unkind, judgmental, or cranky thought, our brain releases chemicals that affect our bodies. Our muscles become tense, our hands and feet get cold and wet, and our heart may beat faster and our breath becomes more shallow. As this physical process ramps up, activity in the frontal and temporal lobes of our brains actually decreases. This leads to problems with our judgment, learning, and memory.
The opposite of this cycle is also true. When we have a positive, happy, or joyful thought, our brain releases a different set of chemicals. These chemicals help our muscles relax, our hands and feet grow warmer and drier, our heart rate slows down, and our breath becomes more regular. And… our brains work better in terms of judgment, learning, and memory.
There are various kinds of A.N.T.S.:
- The Fortune Telling A.N.T. We predict the worst without any evidence.
- The Mind Reading A.N.T. We believe we know what someone else is thinking.
- The Guilt Beating A.N.T. We think with words such as should have, could have, would have.
- The Blame A.N.T. We blame others for the problems in our lives rather than taking personal responsibility. We are the victim.
- The Labeling A.N.T. We call ourselves or someone else a derogatory name. This decreases our ability to see situations clearly and is harmful.
How do we get rid of the A.N.T.S. (automatic negative thoughts)?
- Write down what you are thinking.
- Identify which species of A.N.T. you are dealing with and talk back to it.
- Challenge your negative thought. This takes away the A.N.T.S.’s power and control. This gives you the control over your thoughts, moods, and actions.
- Ask yourself: Is my negative thought true? Can I absolutely know that it’s true? How do I react when I think that thought? Who would I be without that thought? How would I feel if I didn’t have that thought?
Eradicating the A.N.T.S. is a process that takes time and intentionality. But… developing our internal anteater pays huge dividends. Remember, our brains are always listening.
Change Your Brain, Change Your Life: The Breakthrough Program for Conquering Anxiety, Depression, Obsessiveness, Anger, and Impulsiveness, Dr. Daniel Amen (2015).