Negative thinking can become a dangerous habit. Thoughts sink into your mind and remain there until you take action to get rid of them.
When you start thinking negatively, it may be tempting to try to force those thoughts out of your head. Try to disappear and expel them forever. But this approach is often counterproductive.
Fighting those negative thoughts can actually reinforce that thinking pattern by making things worse. The more you try not to think about something, the more you end up thinking about it.
To get rid of negative thoughts you need to try a different approach, something that helps you clear your mind once and for all. Here are seven ways to clear your mind of negative thoughts.
1. Change body language
Take a moment to observe your body language. Are you hunched or with a closed posture? Do you frown? If so, you will be more likely to think negatively. Improper body language can lower your self-esteem and lead to a lack of confidence. In that emotional state, it is natural to start having bad thoughts.
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To feel safe you should open your posture and smile more. Correct your body language and you will feel much better. It could be just what you need to erase those negative thoughts.
2. Talk about the topic
Sometimes negative thinking occurs because there are problems or emotions that you need to communicate. It is not good to keep things to yourself. If there is something that needs to be spoken, you must do it. Putting thoughts into words gives them form and makes them visible, and that will help you to put problems into perspective so that you can deal with them more effectively.
3. Try to empty your mind for one minute
When your mind is running at a thousand an hour it can be difficult to keep calm. In this way, it is more complicated to control the thoughts, especially the negative ones. A minute of calm is often enough. Meditation can be very helpful, and you should think of it as a restart. Once the mind is empty, it can be filled with something more positive.
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4. Change the focus of your thoughts
Sometimes negative thinking is the result of a bad perspective. Take a look at the point of view you take of things that happen around you. For example, instead of thinking, “I’m going through a difficult time and I’m having problems,” you might think, “I think I’m facing some challenges, but I’m working on finding solutions.”
You are saying the same thing, except that the second form has a more positive view. Often that little change of focus can make a big difference in your thought patterns.
5. Be Creative
When negative thoughts come, it is very helpful to find a creative outlet for those thoughts. Write things down. Draw or paint something. Explore emotions through creativity acts as self-therapy and will elevate your mood and the creativity can feel like a release. When you process your emotions through an art form or creativity, you are breaking the normal dynamics of your thoughts and it will be easier for you to understand and control them.
6. Take a walk
Because thoughts reside in the mind, it is easy to assume that is where they are formed. But that is only partially true. Sometimes our thoughts are a product of our environment. For example, if negative people surround you are likely to start thinking negatively as well.
Getting away from this negative environment can help considerably. Taking a short walk with your head somewhere like a park or a museum might suffice. The time you spend away from negative influences will give you a necessary space of tranquility.
7. List all that is worth in your life
Have you forgotten all the good things around you? Sometimes, in the daily routine, we lose focus on the reasonably good things that are present in our lives. You must train your mind to return to concentrate on all the good that happens around you.
List each of the things you should be thankful for, no matter how small they seem to be. Do not take anything for granted in this regard. Sometimes the good things in our lives are right in front of our faces and yet we cannot see them. Stop being blind to all the positive things you already have.
