Automatic negative thoughts, or ANTs, are thoughts that come into our mind automatically and ruin our day or send us into a negative tailspin. Dr. Daniel Aman, who developed the concept, talks of the destructive power of negative thoughts and how they alter the physical and chemical composition of our brains and literally destroy our mental and physical health.
We should not believe every negative thought we have because our thoughts lie to us all the time! It is our uninvestigated thoughts that turn us into mental midgets, make us sad or anxious, and erode our abilities as a Cancer Registrar.
Our success as a Cancer Registrar depends on how we manage our thoughts and mindset. ANTs may attempt to invade our mind, but through proper care and maintenance of our physical and mental health we can avoid disaster by managing the thought appropriately and “killing” the ANTs.
Whenever you feel a negative or out-of-control thought, or have thoughts that are bothering you or making it hard to focus, Dr. Aman gives four questions to ask yourself:
Is the thought true? Is the thought that is upsetting me really true?
Can I know absolutely for sure that the thought is true?
When I believe in the negative thought, how does it make me feel? (physically, emotionally and spiritually)
Who would I be, or how would I feel, without the thought?
Work through the four questions then turn the original thought around to its opposite and ask yourself the same four questions. Is the opposite thought upsetting to you or true? You may be surprised at what you learn through this simple exercise.
Here’s an example of an upsetting thought: “My hospital does not care about my work as a Cancer Registrar.”
Is it true? Of course not, you do have some control.
Can I absolutely know that this thought is true? No.
How do I feel when I believe the negative thought? Weak, inferior, sad, anxious, out of control, or worn out.
Who would I be, or how would I feel, without the thought? Free to be in control and to be the best Cancer Registrar I can be.
Now, take that negative thought and turn it around to its opposite and ask yourself if the opposite of the upsetting thought is true? I have complete control over my skills and quite a bit of control in how others perceive my value and contribution as a Cancer Registrar.
How will you use this technique to “kill ANTs?” What ANTs have invaded your mind today and how did you handle them? Post your response as a COMMENT below.
http://www.RegistryMindset.com. Michele Webb is a nationally recognized, certified cancer registrar (CTR) committed to Cancer Registry leadership and professional development worldwide as a coach, mentor, educator, motivational speaker, and author. You have permission to repost this article as long as you do not alter it in any way, give credit to the author and link back to this website.
Seasons Greetings everyone! As the year comes to a close we wanted to share with you how grateful we are for your time and attention and offer you a free gift. Look below at a short video and link to download your free gift!
(Part Four of our series on “Agility Training for the Cancer Registrar”)
Much is said today in business, healthcare and Cancer Registry about change. In fact, one thing I know for sure is that we, as cancer registry professionals, are undergoing an unprecedented degree of change right now which will continue well into our future. Thinking about change today or projecting how it will impact our future can settle in on us like a dense fog and cause us to lose our bearings and sense of where we are. We may not be sure of which way to go when we reach a fork in the road because we can’t see the choices in front of us because of the fog. Uncertainty can paralyze us with fear or it can thrust us into a world of new possibilities.
Change brings chaos into our normally well-ordered lives and introduces levels of unpredictability and uncertainty that make us uncomfortable. Dealing with change is challenging, tiring and even threatening, but the flip side is that it provides the cancer registrar with tremendous opportunities for growth. Let’s look at how we can focus on accommodating the change instead of railing against it.
In the first article of our on developing agility in the cancer registry, we introduced embracing uncertainty as one way of becoming agile, or flexible in business. Agile cancer registrars will drive out uncertainty by developing working solutions and adjusting the registry’s operations in order to accommodate change. Dealing with uncertainty in a positive manner and being willing to accept things that are unknown or unpredictable are big parts of learning to be agile.
To help you face the challenges in a positive manner and to increase your agility in the cancer registry and healthcare business, here are four ways you can explore change:
Accept reality without fussing about the outcome. Face reality with no judgment. Think of the unknown as neutral rather than good or bad. Let go and detach from any outcome you cannot control. Keep your options open.
Explore the unknown. Ask yourself these questions:
What are all the things that are great about being a cancer registrar?
What is the worst that can happen?
What is the likelihood that the worse will happen?
If the worst were to happen, what do I need to do prepare?
Interrupt worry. The unknown can cause us to worry to the point of doing physical harm, but only if you let it. When worry starts to creep into your thoughts, interrupt it! Simply do not allow it to take hold of you. Here is how you can interrupt worry:
Get busy: occupy your body and your mind will follow.
Put it off: decide to enjoy today and maybe you’ll worry tomorrow – if it feels right.
Turn it over: write down your worry, put it in a box, and turn it over to a higher power.
Hum a tune: it is impossible to worry when you’re singing or humming, even if it is not out loud. Find a song that gives you strength. “A Beautiful Day” by India.Arie is a great one.
Trust yourself. You’ve probably faced change and challenges in the past. Reflect on those times and remind yourself how well you handled them, even though you may have been uncomfortable at the time. Trust in your abilities, thoughts and experience to take you through the transition.
None of us can be certain about tomorrow or the future of cancer registry. We can fret and fume about it, but no matter how much noise we make, we cannot control it. What we CAN do, each of us as cancer registry professionals, is make the most of each moment…each NOW….because that is really all we have. Only you can bring peace and acceptance of the unknown to you.
Accepting change and allowing uncertainty into our lives can lead us to a higher state of functioning as cancer registrars. Embracing uncertainty, then, is really just an engaging process in which we let go of control. Think of this as a spiraling UP in complexity, moving up the ladder of intellectual, emotional and professional growth. Engage your co-workers, peers and leaders in the process of embracing uncertainty. Don’t be afraid to network and ask for help and guidance where needed. By welcoming uncertainty and unpredictability into your life you will be expanding your horizons and developing agility in your cancer registry that will lead to great success and self-fulfillment!
WHAT DO YOU THINK? How are you accomodating change and uncertainty in your cancer registry and life? Send us your feedback or thoughts on this article and critic topic today.
http://www.RegistryMindset.com. Michele Webb, America’s Cancer Registry Coach, is a nationally recognized, certified cancer registrar (CTR). She cares passionately about helping cancer registrars around the world to grow personally and professionally and serves her community as a motivational speaker, author, and educator. You have permission to repost this article as long as you do not alter it in any way, give credit to the author and link back to her website.
A cancer registrar can experience setbacks for many different reasons. As the information experts in healthcare they must balance dwindling resources with increasing complexity in data collection along with increasing demands for their resources and expertise. As with any profession, it is not uncommon for a setback or challenge to get out of control and develop into a full blown crisis. However, while crisis is uncomfortable it can bring you face-to-face with what really matters and force you to clarify and take notice of something you might have otherwise missed. It is in these moments that the cancer registrars develop their resiliency and strength of character.
Here are five steps the cancer registrar can use as they deal with setbacks:
Know that everything you feel, when faced with a challenge, is valid. It’s OK to validate your feelings as long as you do not become consumed by them.
Share your feelings with someone who can be objective and help you to see around the obvious obstacles towards a positive solution.
Focus on the moments in your life, or types of situations you have experienced, that created a positive emotion. Hold on to these moments as you face the challenge – they are a platform for you to use as you move forward.
Surround yourself with peers or individuals that will actively help you focus on your goals and making the right decisions. Eliminate negativity in your network.
Never let a crisis go to waste. Analyze the lessons and insights and channel these into your strengths. These experiences will continue to serve you the rest of your life. Never forget that growth follows setbacks. Here are a couple of questions to ask: (1) What can I learn from this? (2) What is working, or what is right about this? (3) Where can I use my strengths to help me get through this?
Use these questions to generate meaning and productive thoughts. Don’t be afraid if the questions bring about an emotional outcome, use these to your advantage by creating something positive and turning them into a strength of character.
Lastly, decide to look at challenges and setbacks from a positive viewpoint rather than one of failure. Your attitude and mindset will determine which direction you go. Focus on what is working and the steps you are taking to reinforce positive actions. Let your emotions and behaviors amplify the positive intentions and outcomes you wish to receive.
Winston Churchill said, “When you’re going through hell, just keep going.” Cancer Registrars may identify with Churchill but more importantly they should adopt a positive mindset and determine to face challenges and setbacks with the intent of developing strength of character and resilience.
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http://www.RegistryMindset.com. Michele Webb, America’s Cancer Registry Coach, is a nationally recognized, certified cancer registrar (CTR). She cares passionately about her work and enjoys helping others to become cancer registrars and grow professionally. She is a motivational speaker, published author, trainer and netpreneur in the exciting field of cancer registry and oncology healthcare.
We all have a mission for our lives. It is our job to find and live our this mission by using our talents and skills to do important work that serves others. Fulfilling this mission is hard to do when you become complacent, apathetic or uninvolved with your life. Cancer registrars are not immune to these feelings.
So, here you are…what are your options? First, you can change what you are doing by quitting your job or getting a new job, finding new work, going back to school or maybe even taking a risk and trying something new … whatever. But, whatever you do you need to move yourself into a new phase of your life and one that is passionate about your work and committed to using your talents to serve others.
It’s not uncommon to jump into something new because we want to find fulfillment and end up missing the best opportunities that are closest to us. So, before you leap, your second option is to discover or rediscover how to serve others and how to bring meaning to what you currently do.
This second option is almost always a better solution. There are many different ways that we can bring service and meaning to our lives, right in our immediate reach. For example, if you manage or lead people, ask yourself how you can better serve their needs? Cancer registrar’s can ask themselves how they can better serve the members of their organization’s cancer program? Really focus on finding that one thing you can do to add value to their work and the communities they serve? How can you add meaning and value to people around you? How can you make life better for your friends or family?
Finding your passion will probably not require that you to sign up for foreign service. But, it does require you to re-examine your current situation and to reach for new opportunities available to you. Keep in mind that this is not an easy pursuit and those closest to you may question your motives, not to mention you might end up scaring the daylights out of yourself! But, this is your best path to lifelong success and true passion. Persevere through the challenges and setbacks, don’t give up or settle for less. As you emerge through the challenges you will be able to receive joy, passion, fulfillment and success!
Cancer Registrars have a secret weapon called emulation. This is a powerful tool, not to be confused with blatant copying, but rather an emulation and adoption of processes and methodologies used successfully by others. It is a bridge between the basic foundation and structure of a cancer registry department that can add value and meaning to the cancer program as a whole and, even beyond that, into cancer surveillance nationwide.
Here is how it works. Registrars should routinely take time to evaluate cancer registry best practices and the operations of other cancer registries and programs in your area or across the nation. Initially, gather as much information as you can to get a broad spectrum of ideas. Then, begin to study the processes and methodologies you like and envision as adding value and excellence to your registry and organization. Then, develop an implementation plan for putting the material into action. Tailor the plan to fit your needs and align it with the mission and vision of your organization. As you gather information look for elements that will inspire and motivate the team as you begin putting the plan into motion. Never underestimate the power of a seemingly small idea, or spart of creativity, that can turn the team’s interest and motivation into a fireball of creativity.
If you’re worried about copying, you don’t need to be. Although you did start with another person’s ideas, you have uniquely tailored your plan, built upon the original ideas and turned them into something that you can call your own by drawing upon your professional instincts and experience.
After practicing your new emulation skills you will be able to fine-tune your selection of ideas and methodologies and more efficiently develop your own unique action plans. You will get excited about your program and others will see your efforts as having a significant contribution that adds value and meaning to the cancer program. Instead of limitations or roadblocks you will begin to see creative options and multiple pathways to creating a successful cancer registry program.
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http://www.RegistryMindset.com/. Michele Webb, America’s Cancer Registry Coach, is a nationally recognized, certified cancer registrar (CTR). She cares passionately about her work and enjoys helping others to become cancer registrars and grow professionally. She is a motivational speaker, published author, trainer and netpreneur in the exciting field of cancer registry and oncology healthcare.
In case you haven’t noticed, we live an a less-than-ideal world and most of us fall quite short of being perfect. As cancer registrars we have learned the value of having all the facts and data reviewed before we launch a new study or project. And, while that is still considered the ‘best practice’ it does not necessarily apply to everything that we do in our registry operations.
For example, if you are working on a draft of the Annual Report and you need something in hand to take to Cancer Committee, you may want to have as much information completed and ready for review as possible. But, as the day of the Committee comes closer you realize you didn’t have enough time to work on the report as you would have liked. Some will feel compelled to work overtime hours (usually without pay) or to let another deadline or target date slip to spend hours working on the report. What you may want to consider, instead, is whether or not your vision of the report for Cancer Committee really needs to as complete as your first envisioned, or would something less still be acceptable.
All too often we overtax ourselves and our systems trying to make something perfect or complete. When you find yourself in this situation evaluate what is really needed and what is important at that moment in time. This will help you make the right decisions. Your challenge is to get things done – maybe that’s why they call it managing. Don’t get bogged down by the idea of perfection. It does not exist, so take action instead of standing still.
“Do not wait; the time will never be ‘just right.’
Start where you stand, and work with whatever tools
Experiencing life through the five senses is a wonderful ability that cancer registrars and analytical thinkers can possess. This ability has potential for making a giant contribution to their lives. Just like the mind, our senses also gathers information and feeds it to our nervous system. But, this happens on a completely different level than pure mental analysis, it is a completely different kind of intelligence.
In reality, when our senses are fully engaged, our analytical thinking often comes to a grinding stop. It is in that moment that we can fully savor the moment or experience something special. For example, when you stop to smell a fragrant rose, or you step outside or from a shadow into the warmth of sunshine, what do you feel? Do you stop to analyze it, or do you just experience it?
Analytical thinkers, like everyone, need to take those few moments to savor life and experience something that brings alive your senses. Our mind does something wonderful in this moment when it takes a few moments to suspend its analyzing of information in order to let us experience and love life!
More to come on the wonderful characteristics of the cancer registrar’s analytical mind. We hope you enjoyed this post and encourage you to take a few moments today to savor the moment or to experience something special in your life!
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http://RegistryMindset.com/. Michele Webb, America’s Cancer Registry Coach, is a nationally recognized, certified cancer registrar (CTR). She cares passionately about her work and enjoys helping others to become cancer registrars and grow professionally. She is a motivational speaker, published author, trainer and netpreneur in the exciting field of cancer registry and oncology health care. Copyright 2010, Michele A. Webb, All Rights Reserved.
Our success as a Cancer Registrar depends on how we manage our thoughts and mindset. ANTs may attempt to invade our mind, but through proper care and maintenance of our physical and mental health we can avoid disaster by managing the thought appropriately and “killing” the ANTs. 
