How to Stop ANTs (Automatic Negative Thoughts)

Most people think negative thoughts appear because something’s wrong with them. They don’t realise these thoughts are learned patterns – old echoes, not new truths. Automatic Negative Thoughts (ANTs) fire quickly, feel convincing and often sound like warnings. But once you understand where they come from, they lose their power instantly.

ANTs are predictions, not facts. They’re the brain’s attempt to keep you safe by anticipating danger before it appears. When you feel anxious, overwhelmed, or out of alignment, your mind scans for threats, even when none exist. The thoughts aren’t the root problem – the emotional state underneath them is.

STRATEGIES

Name the Thought “The Programme”

The moment you stop identifying with the thought, it loses its authority. Say, “This isn’t me  it’s the Programme.” This interrupts the loop instantly. Your true self observes the thought; it doesn’t generate it. Naming the Programme is often the single fastest way to dissolve an ANT in real time.

Locate the Emotion Beneath the Thought

Every ANT is powered by an emotional charge – anxiety, shame, overwhelm or fear. Pause and ask: “What am I feeling in my body right now?” The emotion always reveals the truth. Once you feel the sensation without resisting it, the thought collapses because the emotional fuel that kept it alive dissolves.

Change the State Before the Story

Trying to “think positively” is pointless when your state is low. The brain predicts the future based on your emotional state. Shift the state – through breath, movement, grounding or stillness – and the brain stops producing survival thoughts. Change the state first, and the story rewrites itself automatically.

Give Your Nervous System a New Prediction

ANTs exist because the brain is forecasting danger. Override the prediction. Ask yourself “What outcome would I like to expect instead?” Make it believable, steady, grounded. This single shift redirects the brain’s predictive circuitry from fear to possibility. Your nervous system follows the expectation you repeat.

Bring Yourself Back to Presence

Presence dissolves thought loops in seconds. Look around the room, feel the chair beneath you, or take a slow breath. When you return to the present moment, the mind no longer needs to predict the future – and the ANTs lose their relevance. Presence is your internal reset button.

Step Into Your Creative Identity

Ask “What would my Creative Self see right now?” This perspective shift pulls you out of survival mode and into conscious choice. Your Creative identity doesn’t argue with ANTs – it replaces them with clarity. Returning to your true identity gives you back control of the moment.

CONCLUSION

Negative thoughts aren’t personal. They’re not character flaws or signs of weakness. They’re simply patterns your brain learned long ago – patterns that no longer match the person you’re becoming. When you stop fighting the thoughts and start changing your state, everything shifts. You return to presence. You return to choice. You return to the version of you who creates momentum, clarity and results from within. You’re not at the mercy of your mind. You’re the one directing it.

PONDERINGS

Which ANT pattern shows up most often for me?

What emotion usually fuels it?

What new prediction feels empowering today?

How would my Creator Self respond instead?

Help Someone Choose

Your Words Make a Difference

When you share your coaching experience, you’re doing more than writing a review – you’re offering someone else a lifeline. Think back to where you were before we began: the uncertainty, the self-doubt. Someone else is there now, wondering if change is even possible.

Your success story could be the spark they need. Speak honestly about what shifted – confidence, clarity, productivity, or letting go of limiting beliefs. Share your wins, your favourite tools, what helped most. Your journey can inspire theirs. No need to be fancy – just be real. Your voice matters. Your review might be the reason someone takes that leap. Thank you in advance – your words truly make a difference.