Have you ever thought of deeper causes why negative thinking exists? Well, I haven’t and I’m never planning to! Because wondering deeper might lead to another level of thinking negatively.
If you’re having the same thoughts, why not learn these practices to help yourself and to break the cycle of negative thinking.
Break the Cycle of Negative Thinking!
Sometimes we all think negatively. Sometimes it feels like the whole world is against us or that we are having the worst day. We begin to believe that things are more difficult for us, that life can be unfair or that others don’t have the best intentions.
Negative thinking can lead to more negative thoughts, which will make it more difficult to stop the cycle. Fortunately, negative thinking can be overcome by thinking positively. Sounds very weird, right? We both know that this is never easy and we can’t have the easiest solutions to solve everything that is related to our mind.
But you can have fewer negative thoughts and reframe them to be more realistic. We’re definite that using these steps, self-proven practices, and strategies will help you to be realistic, human, and optimistic in difficult situations.
To keep negative thinking in check and prevent it from becoming a negative attitude towards life, you must first acknowledge that almost all people think alike. They also experience negativity, pessimism or critical thoughts. Not being hard on yourself is not the answer. Neither is finding a positive solution to every negative thought. It’s okay to admit that you’ve had a bad day and that’s the first thing during acceptance stage. Having an argument with someone can lead to you thinking that they are unfair or treating you poorly. Negative thoughts are not acceptable.
If you find that your outlook is becoming more negative than positive lately, and it seems harder to be optimistic or hopeful, then it may be time to reframe your thoughts. It is not a good idea to try and dampen the positive aspects of every situation. Instead, focus on the positive. Negative thoughts can sometimes make it difficult to enjoy life, be kind and grateful for what we have.
Here are some ways to control negative thinking:
Negative thoughts can be let go.
Don’t deny what you’re thinking. Accept and never respond by saying you don’t believe such thoughts. Acknowledge the thought and let it go. That’s one thing to do so you can move on, Your thoughts are not your circumstances. Many people imagine their thoughts as floating balloons, but thoughts do not have to be equal in weight.
Show gratitude by being proactive.
Whatever day it is, try to find some things that you enjoy. You might find something as simple as the coffee you’re drinking or the fact it’s Friday. If you’re not struggling, practicing gratitude will help you remember what you were thankful for even if it gets difficult.
Avoid the all-or-nothing mentality.
Absolute thinking makes it difficult to accept every situation as it is. It is difficult to remember that everything can change over time, and that it is impossible to predict the future. We often use words such as “always” or “never”. Use words like “often” and “occasionally.”
Be realistic about your expectations.
We expect things to go our way, but they often don’t. It is normal to be disappointed. We don’t want to set unrealistic expectations about an outcome we can’t see. It is impossible to predict whether relationships will succeed. We don’t know if the job will be right for us. Sometimes things can look great and then suddenly something happens. Pre-conceived ideas of how things will turn out make us less prepared for unexpected events.
We can let our emotions flow without trying to suppress them. This allows us to accept and feel all emotions, even disappointments. It doesn’t matter if we feel hurt, sad, or skeptical about a situation. This does not mean that it is impossible to survive it. Allow your thoughts to exist and then sit with them. Be intentional about recognizing the good things in your life. You’ll soon notice that you are capable of handling anything, and that negative thoughts will be controlled.
Lastly, I want to share these lines from one of my favorite Korean Dramas that I’ve watched recently.
“Every day can’t be a tragedy just because you lose every day. It’s easy to forget after you laugh. You have to forget in order to move on.”
If you still find yourself drowning in the ocean of negative thinking, accept it and find something from it that will help you laugh. After all, we have our own ways of mastering the art of learning to change tragedy into comedy.
