You might not be able to get rid of all negative thoughts, but it can help to at least minimize them. When your mind is bombarded by negativity, it makes it difficult to focus or even appreciate the good things in your life.
Ignore the Extremes
Extremes are when you think of something in the best or worst scenario. Most things in life aren’t so black and white, so it is important that most of your thoughts are somewhere in the gray area.
Don’t think extreme lows, such as something being the ‘worst’ or ‘completely fail’ – try to think of the potential good and possible drawbacks of any situation or scenario, and suddenly you won’t be quite as negative with your thought patterns.
Surround Yourself With Positivity
The people you spend time with can have a larger impact on how you think and feel than you might imagine. It is important that you try to surround yourself with as much positivity as you possibly can. You may not want to get rid of negative people completely, but reduce how much time you spend with them.
Name the Thoughts and Say Goodbye to Them
This is a fun imagery exercise that is great for those nagging negative thoughts you just can’t seem to get rid of. Think of the most negative thoughts that always seem to consume your mind and bring your mood down, and give them all a name. Now close your eyes and picture the names you have come up with for the thoughts, then send them away. Turn them into balloons in your mind, and watch as those balloons fly away, never to return.
Focus On the Positive
This seems like an obvious suggestion, but it goes deeper than just appreciating the good things in your life. It is much easier to focus on the bad than the good, so what you want to do is stop minimizing the positive things in your life. Really focus on the good things, whether it is a new relationship, a job, your favorite place, a good book, absolutely anything that brings you joy, happiness, and optimism.
Need more help with stopping negative thoughts? Join the 5- Day Positive Mindset Challenge. See you there!
