Antivirus to combat negative thoughts

Negative thoughts can be likened to a computer virus, if you think of the physical brain as the hardware and the mind as the software.

When a computer is infected with a virus, it quickly replicates itself and spreads. Likewise, one negative thought has the power to start a ripple effect in our mind.

If a computer has antivirus and malware protection installed, it is much more effective at spotting a virus and defending against it.

Recognising a virus before we open it is the key. So, when we learn to recognise negative thoughts, we too can defend against them. The most effective way to recognise negative thoughts is by learning about cognitive distortions. You can read about these here.