A is for Awareness and Your Thousands of Daily Thoughts
It’s estimated that we have between 60,000 and 80,000 thoughts a day. That’s nearly a thought every second during waking hours! While this incredible volume showcases the brain's activity and processing power, it also highlights an important challenge: most of these thoughts are automatic, repetitive, and overwhelmingly negative—with research suggesting up to 80% lean that way.
Why Are So Many Thoughts Negative?
The human brain has evolved with a negativity bias, a survival mechanism that kept our ancestors alert to dangers. While it served us well when threats were imminent, such as predators or famine, this bias can be counterproductive in modern life. Negative thoughts often reinforce doubts, fears, and limiting beliefs, creating patterns that shape how we view ourselves, others, and the world.
The Impact of Thought Awareness
Our mindset—the way we perceive ourselves, our situation, and the world—is built on a conditioned set of beliefs. These beliefs influence how we behave, interact with others, and approach challenges. Without awareness, negative thoughts can solidify into limiting beliefs, forming a cycle where mindset drives behavior and behavior reinforces mindset. For example:
A thought like “I always fail under pressure” can lead to avoiding challenges, further validating that belief over time.
Conversely, a shift in awareness to challenge this thought (“I might fail sometimes, but I’ve also succeeded under pressure”) fosters growth and resilience.
Becoming aware of your thoughts is the first step toward breaking the cycle of negativity and intentionally cultivating a more empowering mindset.
Steps to Build Awareness Around Your Thoughts
Pause and Reflect: Throughout your day, take brief moments to check in with yourself. Ask:
What am I thinking right now?
How does this thought make me feel or behave?
Label Your Thoughts: Identify whether a thought is positive, negative, or neutral. By labeling, you detach from the thought and view it objectively.
Challenge Negative Beliefs:
Is this thought true?
Am I basing this on evidence, or is it a reaction?
What’s an alternative, more constructive perspective?
Activity: Thought Tracking
Spend a day logging your thoughts in a journal or on your phone:
Write down recurring patterns.
Identify triggers for negative thoughts.
At the end of the day, review your entries and reframe at least three negative thoughts into neutral or positive ones.
Closing Thought
Your thoughts shape your mindset, which in turn shapes your behavior and results. By becoming aware of your thought patterns, you take the first step toward creating a more resilient and empowering mindset. Awareness isn’t just a skill—it’s the foundation for change!
