10 Toxic Thoughts: Are They Ruining Your Life?

(CBS) Are toxic thoughts sabotaging your life?

Could be. Therapists like  Heide Banks say such thoughts - which she defines as "any thoughts that keep you locked in low self-esteem" - can do a number on your emotional and even physical health.

That means, in many instances, that we can change the way we feel by changing the way we think.

"If we actively shift our thoughts, we can change how we feel inside," New York psychologist Dr. Debbie Magids tells CBS News. "What we experience in the world is based on what we think - where we focus."

That is why, she says, two people can experience the same event - say, for example, a barbeque moved inside due to a storm - and have radically different experiences.

One guest may leave the party and think the whole thing was a disaster. Another may leave thinking that the rush to bring in everything in from the rain was fun, and that the chaos brought everyone together.

"Two people, same experience, will have different outcomes based on where they focus," Magids says.

It's quite simple, almost too easy. Still, it's hard to argue: Think healthy thoughts, lead a healthier emotional life.