15 tips to get rid of negative thoughts to be happier
Where do negative thoughts come from?
There are pretty good reasons why people think negatively, and the first of them is evolution. The human brain has a natural ability to focus on the bad. To successfully survive, generations of people had to consider potential dangers, remembering all the difficulties that others faced. The second reason is the impact of a stressful experience, trauma or violence that has occurred, which can contribute to the perpetuation of negative thinking. Strengthen the negative perception of the environment, as well as depressive states and anxiety.
The influence of positive and negative thinking
Psychologists have come to the conclusion that negative thinking can have both negative and positive effects on our mental and physical state. On the one hand, negative thinking helps you prepare for potential dangers, highlight problems, maintain a realistic outlook on life, and consider risks and consequences. This all leads to making the right decisions. On the other hand, while negative thinking is part of the human experience, it still gets in the way of living a happy life and can lead to chronic stress as well as serious health problems. Constant stress and neglect of your physical and emotional needs leads to the predominance of negative thinking, which triggers the body's stress response, releasing the hormones cortisol and adrenaline, which have a negative effect on the brain and body, impair memory and lead to inflammatory processes in the body. Positive thoughts and emotions, on the contrary, release the hormones of happiness - dopamine and serotonin, the action of which improves mood, promotes good health and prolongs life.
How to change the habit of negative thinking?
The habit of negative thinking can be changed, but first you need to minimize the impact of stress and it's not so difficult - get enough sleep, eat a balanced diet, work in a normal mode, play sports or yoga, dance, cuddle, love. Try to minimize the impact of negative information, spend more time with a positive environment, take small “happy” breaks throughout the day for humor, pleasure, relaxation or creativity.
The influence of the external world on the inner world of a person
Our inner world is formed on the basis of the outer one, or rather, our thinking depends on the surrounding information environment - upbringing, nationality, religion, family traditions and attitudes. Everyone is familiar with the statements: “what is inside is outside”, “thoughts are material”, “negative thoughts attract the same events”. If trouble happens to a negatively minded person, he gives up, perceives the event as a pattern - “this is always the case with me”, “I am a loser” and refuses to continue the struggle and search for a way out, believes that success is an accident. A person who thinks positively will also be upset, but will soon come to his senses, perceive the event as an experience and move on. He is sure that success does not come without failure. Such people are most often distinguished by friendliness, purposefulness and curiosity. Positive thinking excludes life in black and white, it is based on the understanding that today is bad, but tomorrow it will be 100% better. To think positively means to understand that you should not take responsibility for everything that happens around you. At the same time, it is full responsibility for your decisions and actions, and therefore the feeling of control over your life inspires hope for the best. And sometimes it is important to be able to let go of the situation, if its solution is not in your power.
How to get positive thinking
Psychology notes that people who think positively are more successful, happy and healthy. They are less likely to get into trouble and are less prone to stress. Positive thinking does not imply complete disregard for failures, negative events or experiences - this is our experience, which will help us not to make such mistakes in the future. Psychologists recommend following some rules aimed at positive thinking, thanks to which your life will radically change for the better:
1. Mindfulness practices
Practice focusing on the present moment or on your breath. This trains the brain to ignore the effects of stress and keep negative thoughts from sinking in. Exhale, and then another short exhalation, then inhale. Repeat this double exhalation several times, this will help you relax faster.
2. Reframing
When you have negative thoughts, practice phrasing them in a more positive light. If you're thinking, "I can't do it," try changing your approach to "I can't do it yet, but I'll do my best." The habit of thinking positively will help you understand the materiality of opinions.
4. Journaling
Writing in a journal will help you release emotions, develop thoughts, and identify patterns in your thinking that can be gradually changed through reframing and thought analysis practice.
5. Practicing gratitude
Develop a daily habit before bed to remember the 5 best things of the day for which you are grateful, because it is during the experience of gratitude that serotonin is released, which helps to think positively.
6. Positive affirmations
Find a list of positive affirmations online and repeat them to train your brain to automatically think positively. Or use the Wispence app, where you can set up affirmation notification times for each day. Always set yourself up for the positive, do not let negative thoughts stay in your mind for a long time, if they arise - take time for an internal dialogue. If you have something to praise yourself for - be sure to do it.
7. Spending time with positive people
Try to communicate with those who are trying to see the positives in everything and do not get hung up on failures. People who hold grudges, are vindictive or do not like life at all - they take away your energy and mental strength.
8. Don't be disappointed
If there are obstacles and failures on your way, take them as a life experience, an opportunity to develop your weaknesses and think from the position of finding workarounds. Your task is to achieve balance, to form a positive picture of the world, no matter what it costs you, and disappointments will pull you back and will not let you live happily.
9. Believe in your personality
Under any circumstances, keep faith in yourself and your abilities. Let something new into your life every day, like taking a different route to work, or having lunch in a new place. Study more the lives of those people who know what success is, know its price, who went to the goal despite obstacles, and learn from them.
10. Be focused and diligent
Success comes to those who clearly see their goals and are ready to go to achieve them. Always make plans to reach your goals and try to stick to them. Consider even minor achievements - your mind will remember positive experiences, and this will contribute to self-confidence and positivity.
11. Look for the positive in the negative
Psychology recommends achieving peace of mind with the help of your personal attitude to a situation or problem: if you are not able to change something, change your attitude to this event. Be flexible: if you can't reach your goal according to your plan, change the plan.
12. Enjoy the simple
Learn to enjoy the simple things: good weather, a pleasant conversation, a good movie. It's easy to develop this habit - remember how many people are deprived of what you have in abundance.
13. Keep evolving
Work on yourself - it brings a lot of positive. Every day you will notice that you have become smarter, more successful, and therefore happier. Invest in your development, in the future it will become a guarantee of your self-confidence and will help you overcome negativity and change your life for the better.
15. Try to live life to the fullest
Find time, energy and money for different areas - family, personal life, friends, work, leisure, hobbies, travel - all this should be present in your life.
Make these rules your principles that will help you live in harmony with the world around you, give you strength and improve your well-being.
All of these methods have been tested by many people, but not all of them are right for you. Try everything and find the perfect ones for you, turn them into daily habits. Over time, you will notice not only a more positive outlook on the world, but also an increase in energy levels and an improvement in well-being.