I'm sure this is coming as a huge shock to you. Huge! You must be curious about this big, shocking news that I'm sure will knock your socks off. The answer? Your negative thoughts are affecting your happiness. I know, right? Mind-blowing. JK. While we all know this information isn't shocking news, it can still be a daily hurdle to overcome.
It's not surprising that we all have negative thoughts. We're human, after all. But if our negative thoughts get in the way of our happiness, we need to do something about it.
And on top of that, those negative thoughts keep you stuck. And I'm not stopping there; they may even make you wear the poor me badge.
But that's not all they do. They leave you feeling sorry for yourself in all kinds of situations in life.
Hey, I'm not throwing any stones. Because I know myself and my nature, and I can also get caught in those negative thoughts.
So let's go ahead and break down some of the different ways that we can get out of that negative thought process.
Furthermore, if you are the one wearing the poor me badge. I want to ask you to remove it and stop thinking that way.
That's why today, let's discuss seven ways to kick that negativity to the curb and say goodbye to it once and for all.
One. Tell Yourself to Stop It
Don't you wish you could overcome negative thoughts altogether? Basically, when you catch yourself in those negative thoughts, I want you to say, Stop it. That's not true.
Then I want you to go ahead and back it up with all the reasons why that negative thought is not true. Because I'm sure, you have evidence in your life to show otherwise.
What is that past evidence? How is this not true at all?
Two. Journal to the root cause
You're gonna move ahead and break down that negative thought. In other words, get a piece of paper and begin drilling down into that negative thought. Journal until you figure out your root cause and what's causing it. Do this by asking, “What else” to get to the root.
I want you to write down that negative thought that you're having. Then I want you to journal on why you are having this thought.
What is triggering this thought? How does it make you actually feel? And what else could you think of instead?
Three. Talk to someone
For me, when I'm having a bad day, I talk to my sister. Yes, I know my sister, not my husband. I always do. We have crazy similar girl thinking. Truly it is crazy how much we think alike. And I know she will have the exact words to say to me to kick me out of that negative thinking pattern. As a result, I pick up my phone and send her a Marco Polo.
Letting go of all my thoughts and feelings circling in my head. All those thoughts and feelings cause that negative thought pattern.
Four. Get some fresh air
Okay, so this next idea here, I will admit that I enjoy this one so much more during the warmer months than the colder ones. This is because I live in Iowa, and it's cold outside. I'm not one for cold weather.
But getting outside for some fresh air. Either a walk or run is still the most effective way to clear that negative thought pattern. Calm the rumbling in your head.
As a matter of fact, this method happens to also be Bo and Saylor's favorite way for me to overcome my negative thoughts. Get your walking shoes, your earbuds, and your favorite happy, upbeat playlist.
There's nothing like fresh air and a good playlist to clear those negative thoughts. And if your negative thoughts are really bad, you may need to play the Happy song on repeat.
Five. Be Grateful
All things considered, be grateful and count your blessings. When you think of all the things you're thankful for to help you overcome your negative thoughts.
Do this out loud, and say out loud to yourself all the things you're thankful for.
What is the complete list of all the things you're grateful for in your life? You can put anything on your list, no matter how big or small. If you've been around for a while, you know coffee and the freedom to drink it are on the list of things that I'm thankful for.
Six. Get Out Of Your Head To Overcome Your Negative Thoughts
The next idea for you to overcome your negative thoughts is to get out of your own head.
In my case, I like the insight timer because I am able to overcome my own negative thinking by getting out of my head.
Simply do a quick search inside the Insight Timer on negative thoughts. As you can see, it will bring up various results such as music or meditations with varying lengths of time. Whatever you need to actually get out of your negative thoughts, get out of your own head.
Ugh, we can be our own worst enemies sometimes. Am I right about that?
https://insighttimer.com/
Seven. Kindness to Overcome Negative Thoughts
I love this next one. And that's doing something thoughtful for somebody else to brighten their day.
Given your current state, go ahead and turn your attention to somebody else. What can you do to brighten up their day? If you could do one thing to brighten up someone else's day, what would it be? Is it sending them flowers? Thinking back to sending flowers to my Grandma. Knowing it brightened her day always made me happy and cheerful.
What is something kind you can do for somebody else? A random act of kindness is sure to totally kick that overwhelming negative thinking to the curb. Trust me when I say it will help you overcome that negative thinking within no time.
Little Side Note
We are a product of our beliefs. Combat your biggest negative thought with a positive affirmation or mantra. How are you able to change the words that you say to yourself? Belief in yourself and your service is a daily commitment.
Bonus: Cuddle With A Pet
While I was planning to keep it to seven, here's one quick bonus tip as well. If you have a puppy. There is nothing like cuddling time on the sofa with your pet to feel happy and overcome those negative thoughts.
The 7 plus one way to overcome negative thoughts are:
- Tell Yourself to Stop It
- Journal to the root cause
- Talk To Someone You Trust
- Get Some Fresh Air
- Be Grateful
- Get Out Of Your Head
- Brighten Someone Else's Day
- Cuddle With A Pet
Thank you so much for reading. I appreciate you. I'd love to hear in the comments if you have any other ideas on things that you do to overcome negative thoughts. I hope you have a wonderful week.
