Getting out of the Rut
Shifting from Negative to Productive
by Ashley Samson, PhD, CMPC
University of Kentucky Kinesiology & Health Promotion
Many people preach about the virtues of a positive mindset and a “glass half full” mentality, and there are definitely many gains to be had from this type of attitude. But sometimes, it’s not always realistic.
For some individuals, telling them to reframe their thoughts from negative to positive (“you can do it, you just have to believe”) can actually backfire, especially if you’re at a frustration point.
So, what do you do? Instead of trying to shift from negative to positive, shift from negative to productive.
This strategy can be helpful because a shift to “productive” helps you to shift into a more pragmatic “problem solver” mode and helps to lessen the emotions involved in your self-talk.
Negative and positive self-talk are tied to negative and positive emotions; if you’re frustrated or feeling negative emotions, a quick shift to positive emotions may not be realistic. Thus, a “productive” approach can help to lessen the negative emotions and, again, put you into a state to take actions.
Take, for example, a baseball pitcher who is at full count with his batter. He’s tired and frustrated, and his self-talk might look like this: “I’m so tired, and I can’t believe I’m at full count. I just want to be done.”
Instead of telling him to “be positive,” I would tell him to “be productive” in his self-talk and focus on the specifics of what needs to be done, perhaps “stick with the curveball, feel my follow-through during the release.” This helps him to focus his energy and effort on what needs to be done to achieve the desired performance, making it more likely that said performance will happen.
“Instead of trying to shift from negative to positive, shift from negative to productive. ”
So, how do you do this in your own practice of running or whatever it is you’re working to acheive? Start to notice your mindset and, specifically, when it becomes negative. In those moments, instead of saying “You can do it,” answer the following question: “What do I need to do to make ‘it’ happen?”
By answering that question, you set yourself up to be productive and more likely to achieve your desired outcome.