Negative thoughts are useless. You know what else? Negative thinking has absolutely nothing to do with you as a person. Toxic thoughts do not define your character , and they cannot determine your destiny. Unfortunately, we often let negative thoughts sway us and that ends up hurting us. So to prevent evil from coming into your life, read these 5 strategies to eliminate negative thinking .
Buddha once said, “Your worst enemy cannot harm you as much as your own unguarded thoughts . ” Observe the words without surveillance and see how most things are in your mind.
Strategies to eliminate negative thinking
Sometimes negative thoughts tend to haunt us, this is when cognitive restructuring is vital. Considered an essential part of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, cognitive restructuring is one of the most effective psychological treatments . In this article, we are going to teach some fundamentals of cognitive restructuring to avoid those negative thoughts.
1. Observe the thought
Take a seat in the back of your mind and just watch the negative thought. Think of how you would see a bird flutter on the roof. Negative thoughts are generally the product of cognitive distortions, or irrational thought patterns.
You do not need psychotherapy or medication, become a good watchdog of your thinking and then feel the well-being.
2. Question rumination
Rumination is excessive thinking patterns, for example: “I have a problem, which I can solve if I keep thinking about it . ” Unless you involve the frontal lobe of your brain, trying to solve a problem, most rumination is useless. Then the question arises: “How to reframe these thoughts?” .
3. Determine the evidence
Another way to reframe thoughts is to evaluate the evidence behind them. For example, if you always think “I never have enough money,” it can be helpful to evaluate the evidence and come up with a solution.
Create two columns on a sheet of paper.
- In Column (A) write any supporting evidence that you “never have enough money.” For example, my debts always consume my money.
- In column (B) write any objective evidence to the contrary. For example, I have a place to live, clothes, food, etc.
Can you honestly say that you never have enough money? If so, what is the next course of action? You could create a budget and limit your expenses, for example.
4. Practice mindfulness
What better place to mention mindfulness than after talking about money? Mindfulness is much more fundamental than the vast majority of people realize. We can divide the focus of attention into the following elements:
- Stop.
- To breathe.
- Elaborate our thinking.
Anyone can use this simple technique throughout the day to stay calm, focused, optimistic, and kind.
Structured mindfulness meditation practices and techniques, such as mindfulness-based stress reduction, are useful for those seeking more formal training.
5 Understand impermanence and neutrality
We already said it in the introduction, but it bears repeating: Negative thoughts are fleeting and temporary; without any real power of their own.
No matter what negative thoughts cross your mind, it is crucial to understand these concepts. In fact, you can even create and recite a maxim, for example: “This is a negative thought, I will observe without compromise because it will quickly run away . “
A great way to demonstrate the helplessness of a negative thought is to distract yourself. It occupies your mind with something, so there will be no room for negative thoughts.