PSYCHOLOGY
Don’t Let Negative Thoughts Win: Here’s How to Reduce Them
Here’s how not to let negative thoughts ruin your day.
When you have a negative thought, it’s easy to let it take control. Suddenly, all of your other thoughts are pushed to the side, and you’re focused on this one negative thing. Before you know it, the negative thought has become a reality in your mind.
Due to the influx of more and more information, we become distracted, which makes it easier for us to succumb to the influence of many distractors. Lack of proper focus increases the impact of negative thinking on our health. Negative thinking causes us to lose control of our lives.
Negative thoughts are like weeds in a garden. They can quickly take over and choke out the positive.
It’s important not to let these negative thoughts win. You need to fight back and push them out of your mind. This may be difficult at first, but with practice, it will become easier.
Recognize that negative thoughts are just that-thoughts.
They aren’t reality.
Negative thoughts are just that-thoughts. They are not reality, and they do not have to become reality. It is important to recognize when you are having negative thoughts, and to work on changing them. Just because you think it, doesn’t mean it’s true.
Challenge the negative thought.
Ask yourself “is this really true?” or “am I being too hard on myself?”.
It’s easier said than done, but it’s worth a try. When a negative thought pops into your head, don’t just let it run wild. Challenge it. Ask yourself where it came from and whether or not there’s any truth to it. If there is, try to find a way to reframe the thought in a more positive light. If there isn’t, let it go. Don’t give that negative thought power over you.
Replace the negative thought with a positive one.
“I can do this” or “I’m enough”.
It may take some practice at first, but eventually replacing negative thoughts with positive ones will become second nature. The next time you have a negative thought, stop for a moment and ask yourself how you could reframe that thought into something more positive. For example, if you’re feeling down about your job, think about the things you like about it or the skills you’ve learned.
When you catch yourself having a negative thought, stop for a second and try to replace it with a positive one. Here are a few examples:
“I’m worthless.” → “I’m doing the best I can.”
“I’ll never be able to do this.” → “I’ll give it my best shot.”
“This is going to be terrible.” → “I’m excited to see what happens”.
Acknowledge that the thought is there
But don’t dwell on it. Thoughts come and go, and you don’t have to act on every single one. Just because you think it doesn’t mean it’s true.
Acknowledging that you have a thought is the first step in managing it. For a lot of people, the mere recognition that they are thinking about something can be enough to stop the thought in its tracks. This is because thoughts are often fleeting and if you don’t acknowledge them, they will likely disappear on their own.
However, for some people, thoughts can be more intrusive and persistent. In these cases, acknowledging the thought is only the beginning and more work needs to be done in order to manage it.
Distract yourself from the thought
If acknowledging the thought and replacing it with a positive one doesn’t work straight away, try distracting yourself instead.
If you feel that you are starting to overthink things and worry, stop what you are doing and suddenly tell yourself STOP. Immediately after, try to occupy your thoughts with something else, maybe browse through a new collection of clothes in your favorite store.
One way to distract yourself from your thoughts is to focus on your senses. Notice the colours and shapes around you. Listen to the sounds around you. Feel the texture of things with your hands. Smell the air and taste different foods.
When we’re lost in thought, we’re not really living in the present. We’re missing out on what’s happening around us and we’re not enjoying life as much as we could be.
It takes but one positive thought when given a chance to survive and thrive to overpower an entire army of negative thoughts. — Robert H. Schuller
In conclusion, thoughts are just thoughts. They aren’t reality. Just because you think something doesn’t mean it’s true. If you’re having a negative thought, don’t let it win. Replace it with a positive thought instead.
Negative thoughts can be incredibly damaging and destructive. It’s important to remember that we have the power to control our thoughts, and we should not let negative thoughts win. When a negative thought pops into our head, we should replace it with a positive one as soon as possible. Focusing on the positive aspects of our lives is key to maintaining a positive outlook on life.
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