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But while 34 percent feel they are letting themselves down, one in three (32 percent) worry more about disappointing others.
And 34 percent feel their own thoughts have stopped them from achieving certain aims – including finding new work (40 percent), expressing their true feelings (38 percent), and achieving their health goals (35 percent).
However, maintaining a busy lifestyle, practicing mindfulness, and repeating positive affirmations, were the top tricks people use to stay on track with their goals and combat negative thoughts.
Andreas Michaelides, Ph.D., chief of psychology at Noom, the psychology-backed behaviour change programme which commissioned the research, said: “Negative or intrusive thoughts, otherwise known as thought distortions, will be experienced by most of the population at some point in their lives.
“They are usually biased, exaggerated, and inaccurate, and they can cause us to reach conclusions about ourselves that are not based in reality.
“The good news, however, is that it is possible to combat them. Learning to recognise thought distortions is the first step to unpacking their content and reframing your approach.”
Some of the most popular positive affirmations that help people combat thought distortions include “I am grateful for everything I have in my life”, “I can do this”, and “I am making progress”.
But other goals often left unachieved due to negative thinking include improving fitness (29 percent), travelling somewhere new (30 percent), and making the leap to self-employment or starting a business (24 percent).
When confronted with negative thoughts about themselves, only 12 percent believe them to be true all of the time, while two-thirds (66 percent) only think they are true some of the time.
Recent events such as the pandemic, the unstable political climate, and the cost-of-living crisis, have led 32 percent to experience more negative thoughts than normal.
These leave them feeling sad (34 percent), unmotivated (34 percent), and frustrated (33 percent).
However, 43 percent have attempted to stop or correct negative thought patterns when they arise by changing their lifestyle, or speaking with family and friends about how they’re feeling.
The study, conducted by OnePoll, found 58 percent believed it was likely more positive thinking in their lives would help them to reach more of their personal goals.
And 56 percent connect maintaining a healthy diet and leading a healthy lifestyle with experiencing an increase in positive thoughts.
With 2023 on the horizon, exercising more often (28 percent), eating healthily (28 percent), and maintaining a positive mindset (23 percent), are the most common new year’s resolutions for Brits.
Andreas Michaelides added: “We all have the occasional crisis of confidence, especially after facing setbacks or a stressful day.
“However, it’s important not to have an all-or-nothing reaction.
“Psychology has shown that we are much more likely to achieve our goals if we think positively, and it’s encouraging to see that almost two-thirds of Brits recognise this.
“Psychological techniques as seen in Noom’s inaugural book, The Noom Mindset: Learn the Science, Lose the Weight, can help you combat negative thoughts to help you reach your goals.”
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