Often in our day to day lives, we use thought patterns that don’t serve us. Instead of empowering, they undermine.Historically psychology dealt with fixing mental health problems like depression, anxiety or OCD.If you think of the stereotypical glass half full, the goal was just to get your glass to the halfway mark, not to see the potential to fill the cup even more.Positive psychology is exploring the previously uncharted territory of building emotional health. This means that after there is a stable mental health foundation, we can go beyond surviving to thriving with a few tweaks to the process of thinking. You can begin filling your own cup.If you are like me, you probably do a pretty good job of this when things are going well, when you are energized, and when you feel in control. Here are three tips on how to keep resilient when you are feeling busy, out-of-control, or overwhelmed.Know the Negative Thinking TrapsThere are 5 negative thinking traps that you can easily fall into. Most of us have a predominant trap that resonates more with our own thought process.1.Mind ReadingThis is the belief that everyone thinks alike. You know how you think and therefore you think you know what people around you are thinking. The converse is also implied as true-others know your wants and needs without you having to tell them.2. Me ThinkingA me thinker believes that when things o wrong it is their fault. They believe they are the root of the problem.3. You ThinkingThe you thinker believes that other people or circumstances are always at fault (these people have a large circle of others.4. Catastrophic ThinkersCatastrophic thinkers are always stuck in their heads. They have a tendency to anticipate the worst case scenario and they get stuck in anxiety as though their prophecies were a reality.5. HelplessnessHelpless thinking would have you believe that there is nothing you can do to change a situation or to create a better outcome.Use These 3 Techniques to Outwit Your PatternsWhen our patterns become problematic it is indicative that our thinking has become rigid. We see problems as insurmountable due to the lack of flexibility or resilience in our thinking.The good news is that The mind can be stretched in the same ways as our bodies- with repeated action moving towards the desired outcome.These real-time hacks from UPenn Resiliency Training will immediately increase your optimism leading to greater reliance as they become new thoughts patterns.1. Use Evidence Disprove your negative thoughts by finishing this sentence:“That’s not true because________________________.”2. ReframeLook from another angle using the sentence:“A more helpful way to see this would be_____________________________.”3. PlanThis one is especially useful for catastrophic thinkers:“If _________________happens, I will ____________________.”I’d love to hear from you- which type of thinking trap do you fall into most (for me it can be the MIND READING) and which techniques you think will help you. (I’m a fan of the reframe).Thanks for reading and keep taking daily steps to keep yourself on the happiness trajectory!