Thoughts are not facts ..

How many times have you found yourself lost in a fog of negative thoughts? One moment, you're minding your own business, and the next, you're replaying something from five years ago – cringing, worrying, or feeling low all over again. Or maybe you're predicting the worst about a future event that hasn’t even happened yet.

It’s exhausting. And worst of all? Most of those thoughts aren’t even true.

The average person has thousands of thoughts a day – many of them fleeting, some repetitive, and a fair few just plain nonsense. Yet we often treat our thoughts as facts. We take them seriously. We believe them, especially the negative ones. And that’s where the spiral begins – sadness, frustration, anxiety… all fuelled by the stories we tell ourselves in our heads.

Thoughts Are Not Facts

Just because you think something doesn’t mean it’s true. Let that sink in.

You can have the thought, “I’m not good enough,” or “Everyone is judging me,” or “I always mess things up,” – but that doesn’t make it a fact. These kinds of automatic thoughts – often called NATs (Negative Automatic Thoughts) – can become habitual. They're like background noise, always playing unless we pause and take notice.

So, How Do You Stop These Thoughts?

You don’t have to stop them completely – thoughts will come and go, like clouds drifting through the sky. But you can change how you relate to them.

The first step is awareness.

Start noticing your thoughts. Pay attention to the stories and conversations going on in your head. Slow down and actually listen to how you're speaking to yourself. Is it harsh? Critical? Unfair?

Now, take it a step further: Write them down.

Seeing your thoughts on paper is powerful. Suddenly, that vague sense of dread or self-doubt becomes something you can look at objectively. Read them back. Ask yourself:

• Is this thought true?

• Is it helpful?

• Would I say this to a friend?

You’ll be surprised how many of your thoughts are distortions, exaggerations, or echoes from past experiences that no longer apply.

A Little Awareness = A Lot More Control

As you start recognising these NATs, you take a step back from them. You begin to create space between you and your thoughts. That space is where choice lives – the choice to respond differently, to be kinder to yourself, to not spiral.

Because here's the truth: You are not your thoughts. You are the one observing those thoughts. And that means you are more powerful than you think.

So next time you feel caught in a swirl of negativity, remind yourself to step back. Breathe. Notice. Write. Challenge. And most importantly – remember that not every thought deserves your time, energy, or belief.