A common theme in negative thinking is that, when judging a situation, you imagine only negative possibilities (e.g., your boss calling you to the office to announce that you have been made redundant). Whereas in reality, there could be positive possibilities as well (e.g., the boss just wanted to discuss a project).
A useful psychological tool for these situations is what I call the “other possibilities” tool. Quite simply, when judging a situation, think of more than one possibility to explain that situation. That is, negative possibilities and positive possibilities.
The following example will show how the “other possibilities” tool is used.
One day, Paolo sent repeated text messages to a friend with whom he had not communicated for a while. Paolo wanted to rekindle the friendship. However, the friend did not reply that day, and Paolo became upset, thinking his friend was angry and ignoring him. As Paolo senses this negative thought, he decides to use the “other possibilities” tool.
He considers other reasons his friend may not be responding. He thinks the friend might be busy or perhaps has a new phone number. Or there may be something urgent that the friend is dealing with. Thinking about other possibilities makes Paolo feel better.
Thinking of other possibilities challenges negative thoughts by forcing you to consider less negative possibilities. This does not mean you think only of positive possibilities; rather, it’s about having a balanced view that considers both positive and negative possibilities.