Core beliefs are general truths that you believe about yourself and your world, whether they are true or not! Negative core beliefs are judgmental and potentially harmful beliefs held about yourself, others, or the world. What you think about yourself, others, and the world can have an impact on your mood at the moment and your overall wellness across time. Having thoughts about failure might lead to believing that we’re not worthy, which then tells us not to try. Our thoughts become beliefs that become actions. What you think about yourself could be shaping your own reality. Slowly they become the story, our story the one that we keep repeating in our mind without even noticing it. The good news is that we can challenge those beliefs. And here is how:
- Notice patterns. You can’t change what you can’t see, and in this case it’s very important to figure out exactly what your negative core beliefs are. What types of thoughts do you have? Do you have more of these thoughts in certain places (i.e. work, school, home)? How often do you think a negative judgmental thought about yourself?
- Examine the origin. Once you see the patterns in your negative self-talk, consider why you have those thoughts. Can you think of a time from your past where you felt ashamed or judged? How did that inform your internal thoughts? What are the triggers of your negative self-talk? Why do you feel like you aren’t enough?
- Challenge yourself. When you think a negative or judgmental thought about yourself, pause and take a moment to check out its truth. Instead of calling yourself worthless, think of three reasons why you aren’t worthless. Or, if you want to call yourself unlovable, think of a few people that love you to contradict your belief.
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