3 Steps to Stop Negative ThOUGHTS

It is easy to slip into a downward spiral of negative thinking when life does not go as expected or feels out of control. It is hard to fight off self-defeating thoughts. Negative thinking can paralyze anyone who lets it. These three simple steps will help you turn negative thoughts into something more positive.

Step 1:

Accept the negative thoughts as natural and short-term.

Negative emotions can harm our ability to be successful and be at our best, no matter how skilled or accomplished we might be. If you are regularly faced with negative events, accepting that the accompanying emotions come and go will reduce and eventually eliminate their strength and power over you. In the process, you will train your brain to recover faster from negative tendencies.

Observe your self-talk. Observing your internal monologue will allow you to gain perspective and insight from your emotions so you can detach from them. Another great way to Intentionally unhook yourself is by tapping into and meditating on encouraging scriptures from the Bible that counter negative emotions (you can search google for good ones). Focus on showing up more of your positive emotions. And let go of the negative ones.

Step 2:

Act.

It’s time to stop torturing yourself and take action. Get creative about what to do about the items that are within your control instead of focusing on the negativity.

Whenever you feel like you are getting swept up in a downward negativity spiral, follow the two above steps: Accept the negative emotions as natural and short-term, and Act.

Any time I feel negative, I tell myself that I need to pause and regroup. Then, I look for a book or a show that introduces me to a new idea, which then reintroduces me to my positive emotions in the process. I also like to write down the issue I’m having and start brainstorming possible solutions. This helps me get back into the flow of positivity.

Step 3

Position yourself to deal with negative thoughts.

Put yourself in a strong position to deal with disappointments by preparing for their occurrence in advance. The truth is that most of the negative things you are telling yourself never come true. And they may not even be an accurate representation of reality. So, there is no need to concentrate so much on them. Practice constructively anticipating those negative feelings, and it will soon be second nature.

I completely identify with preparing for possible issues in advance. It helps me to get all the extremely paralyzing negative thoughts and emotions out of my mind (when I do it!). I know it may sound counter-intuitive, but it is quite accurate. It helps immensely and afterward; I feel lighter and happier. I find that I have the solution/remedy deep within me. It’s only a matter of anticipating the negativity that may try to stifle me into a mental habit that is not productive!