How to Control Negative Thoughts: A Guide to Stay Positive

Everyone has a bad day once in a while. There are ups and downs in everyone’s life, and the downs will happen from time to time. The key to moving past these difficult moments is learning how to control your negative thoughts when they come around.

Change your thought habits

If your brain is used to being negative, that pattern is going to continue, but you can retrain your brain to think positively. Start by changing your thought patterns. If you have a negative thought, ask yourself what positive thought you could replace it with. You can also try to change the way you talk to yourself. Instead of telling yourself what you’re doing wrong, tell yourself what you’re doing right. Start with the small things, like if you take out the trash or remember to do a chore. Great! Try to catch yourself whenever you’re being overly critical. Take a breath every time you notice it and tell yourself something positive.

Watch your language

Words are incredibly powerful and can completely change how you’re feeling. If you’re feeling down, try switching to a more positive language. If you’re feeling depressed, try replacing those words with words like “sad” or “disappointed.” If you’re feeling anxious, try using words that express your feelings but aren’t as intense as “terrified” or “panicked.” What you say to yourself can also affect how you’re feeling.

Practice self-care

If you’re feeling down, chances are you’re not doing a great job of self-care. You don’t have to do anything fancy — actually, you don’t even have to spend money! A great place to start is to simply ask yourself what you would do if you were taking care of your best friend. What would you say to them? What would you do for them? That can be incredibly helpful in changing your thoughts around yourself and your feelings of negativity.

Build positivity with exercise

Exercise has endless benefits — and one of those is helping you to be more positive. Studies have shown that exercise can help to reduce stress and depressive thoughts. That can be incredibly helpful in changing your thoughts and feelings. If you feel overwhelmed by the idea of joining a gym, you can start with smaller exercises, like walking or doing yoga. If you have time, you can look into joining a sports league or other type of group activity where you can meet new people. It can be a great way to be around positive people who can help keep you on track.

Commit to your goals

You may feel like nothing you do will ever be good enough. It’s really easy to fall into a cycle of negative thoughts. This can be a challenge for anyone, but it may be particularly true for people who struggle with positivity. By committing to your goals, though, you can help push those negative thoughts out of your head and keep them out. Studies have shown that if you commit to a goal — it actually changes your brain chemistry. You can actually see changes in the way your brain works! So, if you have a goal that you’re working toward, that can be an easy way to get your mind from those negative thoughts and instead be focusing on something more positive.

Conclusion

Negativity can be tough to get out of, but it doesn’t have to stick around forever. When you notice yourself thinking negatively, try one of these techniques or others that you’ve found helpful in the past. Remember, you don’t have to stay stuck in a cycle of negativity. You can break out of it whenever you want!

The author of this article is a therapist from the Sensera app. Sensera is a daily 10-minute self-therapy app. It’ll help you to cope with various mental problems (anxiety, self-esteem, and relationship issues). Feel better with CBT audio sessions and exercises. Download now to become happier!