3 Techniques to Overcome Negative Thoughts

Negative thoughts are inevitable, but the cool thing is that we have the power to control our mind.

I know it’s not the easiest thing to do, but the more you actively practice altering your mindset, the easier it gets. Not to mention, positive thoughts will attract positive things and vice versa.

*Disclaimer: I am obviously not a doctor/psychologist, these are simply some tips that I use personally to overcome negative thoughts. If you have depression, serious anxiety, or suicidal thoughts PLEASE seek professional help. Suicide hotline: 1-800-273-8255.

I wanted to share 3 quick techniques that I implement whenever I start thinking negatively:

Take control of what you can

Let this be your reminder that you can’t control everything or other people! I know you already know this, but sometimes we tend to forget that.

As much as it sucks, there is no point in stressing/worrying about something that is out of your hands. This won’t make the situation any better.

Whenever you find yourself in a negative situation, determine what you CAN take control of.

Here are a few examples:

You can’t control: That it’s raining (again)
You can control: Wearing a cute rain coat or boots to brighten your day

You can’t control: How your significant other/friend/family is feeling or acting
You can control: How you speak, listen, and react to them

You can’t control: Where you came from
You can control: The actions you take to better yourself and your lifestyle

You can’t control: Traffic
You can control: What you listen to/think while in traffic to make the drive more tolerable

If I feel overwhelmed, I write down all the things bothering me or weighing on me. Then I write down all the things I can do to improve or change the situation. If I have no control of a certain thing, I let it be because that’s all I can do!

Find the positives

Something negative is always going to come into your life, but search for the positives within them. Of course there are certain scenarios where this can be really difficult, but most negatives in life are only temporary.

If you have a negative situation, actively think “what if…?” or “maybe this happened for a reason” or “what is this trying to tell me?” For example, a couple months ago I locked my keys in my car for the first time ever. I was about to leave work on a Friday afternoon when I realized it. My job is highly secured so it was quite a process to get the locksmith in, plus it cost $120 and I was upset because that was $120 I could have saved or put toward debt.

However, on the way home I was thinking, “What if maybe I left on time I would have ended up in a car crash?” I know we’ll never know, but things like that happen all the time and maybe they are happening for a reason. PLUS now I always triple check that I have my keys when I get out of my car…lesson learned.

If you’re having trouble finding the positives in a situation, see it as an experience. See it as a lesson or something to grow/change from.

Gratitude

Practicing gratitude is one of the most life changing things you can do. It takes your mindset from a place of scarcity to a place of abundance.

We tend to forget all of the amazing things that we have and experience in our lives. I’m going to assume the majority of my readers have a roof over their head, food to eat, clothes to wear, friends/family in their lives, internet connection, a cell phone and so on.

Many of us have an abundance of things that we don’t even need.

I mean we get the opportunity to wake up every morning and start fresh.

We get to exist with nature and watch the sun rise and set and rainbows come out after the rain.

We can learn how to do something in less than 2 seconds through a quick Google search.

Most of us have the ability to see, speak, hear, walk, lift, move, eat, and function normally.

The list is literally never ending and once you realize all these things, you start chipping away and eliminating the negative thoughts in your brain.

When you find yourself thinking negative thoughts, write down 10, 20, 50 things you’re grateful for. At the very least start thinking about things you’re grateful for. I usually put myself to sleep by thinking of things I’m grateful for!

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Like I said, battling your mind is really difficult, but it’s 100% worth trying to take control of your thoughts. Overtime it will get easier, you’ll notice your life will start to improve, and you’ll know what to do anytime something negative comes up.