Harboring harmful thoughts gives your mind a sense of disorder. Negative feelings can gradually consume you until you have no energy left to put toward optimistic outlooks. Negative thoughts can cause damage in the present and also have an undesirable affect on things that happen in the future. Your choices, aspirations and outcomes will undoubtedly be bleak if you follow this destructive path.
Thinking negatively can influence many areas of your life. It can constrain your efficiency as a friend, partner or parent. Like most people, time is always hard to come by. However, focusing on a clear goal of diminishing harmful thoughts from your life is well worth what little spare time you can find. It can be a challenge, so use these nine tips to streamline the process. You’ll be rid of negativity in no time!
Harmful Thoughts: 9 ways to kick them to the curb:
- Stop acting like a victim. When you think like a victim, you automatically welcome negative ideas into your life. Take control of your well being…don’t allow yourself to be a victim of your own harmful thoughts.
- Break your negativity streak. Just like you wake up, make coffee and catch up on the news, your habit of thinking tends to repeat itself. Be observant of your pattern of thoughts. Notice when and how often they occur. When you figure out the pattern, make it a point to “change the subject” in your head. The easiest way to do this is to be present in the moment and imagine all the good that can happen in your immediate future.
- Surround yourself with positivity. Read upbeat daily quotes or mantras each day. You can find them online or buy a calendar with quotes of the day. Use your spare time constructively. Working on a hobby or doing meditation are great ways to guide your energy away from harmful thoughts.
- Be present. Just as I mentioned in Tip #3, being present in the situation is a great method for redirecting negative thoughts and feelings. Don’t just look ahead and plan for the future. Be aware of the here and now, and focus on completing one thing at a time.
- Discern fact from opinion. Chances are you don’t really have as much knowledge as you think you do. Instead of making assumptions based on broken knowledge, find the facts first. You have to have the correct information to determine if a situation is solvable or even needs any more of your precious time.
- Find your own perfect, and then slice it in half. You cannot expect to be perfect at everything…or maybe even anything. If your goal is perfection, you will most certainly come up short. This will surely open the door and invite negative thoughts right in. So, erase the idea of being perfect and just do what you need to do. You will probably end up surprising yourself!
- Self-care sneaks in once again! I’m a huge advocate of self-care practice. Do something you truly like to do…indulge in your guilty pleasure, trashy television show or spend a couple hours reading for fun. If you are doing something you enjoy, you will naturally be feeling less negative.
- Sit still and breathe deep. As mentioned in Tip #3, meditating is the perfect antidote for harmful thoughts. You can tune in to your thought patterns, as well as relax your mind and put yourself at ease. My favorite way to meditate is to visualize a “happy place” and really feel, smell, hear, taste and see where you want your mind to be.
- Practice positive affirmation. Don’t try to be an improv specialist and invent your optimistic thoughts at the last minute. There’s no reason you can’t be prepared and have a list things you want to remind yourself of daily. Focus on your goals and aspirations when you make your list and don’t forget to be kind to yourself!
With his list of helpful tips, you’re ready to combat negative thoughts and keep them away for good. You have to make the time to find the time and find the time to make the time…a conundrum of our days, right? You owe it to yourself to flood your life with positivity whenever and wherever you can!
