Over Coming Negative Thoughts
Introduction
Have you ever noticed that your brain is a little like a toddler’s? It's not just that it's small, but it also has a tendency to throw tantrums when it doesn't get its way. And when your brain throws a tantrum, it can be hard to know what to do. The following 5 steps will help you deal with this behavior:
Stop and meditate.
Stop and meditate.
Focus on breathing.
Focus on your heart beating.
Listen to the sound of the air conditioner or fan, if you have one on in your room or home, and pay attention to how it makes you feel when you listen closely to it for several minutes at a time--it can be very soothing! Or focus on any other sounds around you: birds chirping outside, cars driving by, people talking somewhere nearby...this will help keep negative thoughts from taking over your mind while also giving yourself something pleasant and calming to focus on during those moments when they do pop up unexpectedly (which they inevitably will).
Change the way you look at it.
Change the way you look at it.
Look for the positive.
Look for the silver lining.
Look for the lesson, opportunity or solution in every situation and try to find ways to turn those negative thoughts around. If you don't do this, they will continue to haunt you until they become a part of who you are and how others see you as well!
Ask how the negative thought affects your life.
If you have a fear, ask yourself what is the worst thing that could happen if you don't do what you're afraid of. If the answer is "nothing," then it's likely that your fear isn't rational and can be overcome by taking action anyway.
Similarly, if there are any negative consequences from doing something, ask yourself if those consequences are realistic or just in your head (for example: "I'm going to lose all my friends if I go out on a date with someone else").
Finally, consider whether or not this particular fear is useful for your life at all; sometimes our fears can lead us down paths which end up being self-destructive rather than helpful or productive (e.g., worrying so much about being single that we don't take steps toward finding an appropriate partner).
Give yourself permission to feel what you feel, but not to do what you don't want to do.
There are several ways to combat negative thoughts. One way is to stop and meditate, or just take a moment for yourself. Change the way you look at it, ask how the negative thought affects your life and give yourself permission to feel what you feel, but not to do what you don't want to do. Forgive yourself for being human!
Forgive yourself for being human.
Forgiving yourself is a way to let go of the past. It's an act of compassion towards yourself, and it allows you to move forward with more ease. When we are able to forgive ourselves, we can begin being kinder towards others as well.
Forgiveness is not about forgetting or condoning wrongdoings; it's about understanding that everyone makes mistakes--even those who seem perfect in every way. Everyone has flaws and weaknesses, but that doesn't make them bad people; just human beings like us who sometimes fall short or make poor decisions out of their own ignorance or weakness (which is why we need each other).
Resilience is about commitment, not about perfection.
Resilience is about commitment, not about perfection.
It's about learning from your mistakes and making changes in your life that will help you succeed.
Being authentic, honest with yourself and taking responsibility for your actions are all characteristics of resilient people. They know they can't be perfect all the time but they also don't beat themselves up over it when they make a mistake or two along the way! Instead, these individuals focus on improving themselves in every area of their lives by setting goals for themselves and following through on them until they reach success!
Conclusion
The best way to overcome negative thoughts is to be aware of them. Once you've identified a negative thought, it's time to replace it with a more positive one. You can do this by taking some time out of your day--maybe meditating or doing yoga--and focusing on yourself instead of letting your mind wander off into dangerous territory. When we let our thoughts take over our lives, they can become overwhelming and paralyzing; however, if we are able to recognize these patterns in ourselves before they spiral out of control then we can stop them before they start affecting us negatively again!