9 Negative Thoughts That Are Sabotaging Your Wellness Goals

How do you talk to yourself? When you wake up in the morning, when you look at yourself in the mirror, during a workout — what kind of things are you saying? Would you say those things out loud or to a friend? If the answer is no, it's time to reevaluate. Negative self-talk and thoughts can actually create a massive roadblock in your wellness journey, sabotaging your goals.

We talked to bestselling author of Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy, acclaimed psychiatrist Dr. David Burns, MD, who is an expert at addressing and treating these negative thoughts, known as cognitive distortions.

"All of our feelings, positive and negative, do not result from what happens to us, or how smart or gorgeous or loved we are, but rather from our thoughts — the positive and negative messages we give ourselves, the ways we interpret things," said Dr. Burns. "Distorted negative thoughts cause unhealthy negative feelings, such as depression, anxiety, inferiority, loneliness, frustration, and anger, to name just a few." Can they get in the way of your fitness and health goals? "Absolutely!" he said.

Have you been nitpicking at parts or all of your body, striving toward some kind of unrealistic expectation? "One of the mindsets I sometimes encounter is called 'physical perfectionism,' where you believe your body has to be perfect in order to feel happy and lovable," said Burns. "So you may focus on some physical defect or flaw, like thinking your thighs are too heavy or you're too short or your breasts are not big enough or whatever. This is often combined with the belief that others judge you as harshly as you judge yourself."

Dr. Burns described his treatment of a woman with a very severe case of this cognitive distortion as it relates to body image, known as Body Dysmorphic Disorder, and how he helped her "recover completely after half a dozen therapy sessions" by identifying the categories of distorted thoughts and challenging them.

"She was a beautiful and talented electrical engineer who became severely depressed and anxious after she got a gash on her nose during a minor earthquake," he told POPSUGAR. "Although the wound healed beautifully and the scar was virtually invisible, she became convinced she had an ugly scar on her nose and that anybody who saw her would be immediately disgusted . . . she rebuffed her husband's attempts and her parents' attempts to reassure her that she was still beautiful."

Sounds awful, right? But it may be happening to you, too. How does this happen? Distorted thinking! The thing is, there isn't just one type of distorted thoughts. These sneaky, damaging, self-sabotaging thoughts come in tons of forms. Dr. Burns listed some of the many distortions in this type of thinking — he goes in depth with each of these in his book, Feeling Good.

Do any . . . or all of these . . . sound familiar? Can you identify with these categories of thoughts? Fill in the blanks with what you've been saying to yourself or thinking over the past week or so, and see what patterns you fall into. Oftentimes, your thoughts aren't rooted in reality. "I have treated many gorgeous and highly successful men and women who were incredibly depressed, anxious, and lonely because of their distorted thoughts about themselves and others, which were enormous barriers to joy and meaningful, loving relationships with others," said Burns. Don't let that be you!

Once you start getting in a habit of assessing your thoughts and placing them into these categories, you'll have a better handle on reality and a better ability to generate positive feelings. Start a journal — keep notes of your thoughts and start treating yourself better so you can live your happiest, healthiest life.