Address your most dominating thoughts

Author: Manasa Sai Sekar

Psychology helped us in a deeper understanding of the word ‘thought’. The COVID era emphasized the importance of examining our dominant thoughts since they became crucial for success. Thinking is a mental process that helps us define and organize experiences, create, plan, learn, and reflect. However, our thinking may become unhelpful and this hurts our well-being.

Some types of negative thinking include,

  • When thinking about the past influences our ability to function in the present
  • When our thinking leaves little room for imagining a different future because we believe our thoughts
  • When our thinking prevents us from recognizing our strengths and instead becomes our inner-critic

This inner critic leads to rumination. Rumination occurs when we become trapped in constant negative thinking.

The way our thinking affects an interview or the job application process-

After putting in efforts to create a stellar resume, we upload it to different job sites with the hopes of landing our dream job. Job seekers will soon start realizing that job application is a process and the process is not so linear. Usually, candidates start with positive intent, however, with every single job application, experience adds on. Hence, the attitude, energy, and enthusiasm with which the job seekers apply for the first job changes over time. Some candidates accept situations as they are, while the rest develop frustration.

This frustration in turn leads candidates into a negative spiral. Thereby, candidates develop unhealthy thoughts such as,

  • I will never be able to land my dream job
  • People do not recognize my talent
  • Practically things do not work
  • Following one’s passion is not possible, etc.

These unhealthy thoughts manifest into behaviours or actions by reflecting on themselves during job interviews.

What candidates can do about it,

Step 1: Take a journal/notebook and list the thoughts that disturb you the most

Step 2: Follow this process for at least one week

Step 3: See if you find a repetitive thought from the list created

Step 4: Create an opposite empowering thought. For example, “No one appreciates my talent” to “everyone recognizes and values my talent”

Step 5: Repetition is the key. Keep repeating the empowering statement to yourself

Step 6: Every time rejection occurs, immediately express gratitude either by thinking or by writing

The process mentioned above will interrupt the negative cycle by throwing light into the most dominating thought. Practising gratitude mentally calms us down, making us understand that our situation is not catastrophic. At first, this can be quite a challenge because we are used to our critical inners. However, eventually, we will start looking at rejections as redirections. This thought process will help us create a better resume, and will teach us how to sell ourselves. Doing our work consistently and enjoying the process will lead to desired results.