How to Eliminate Negative Thoughts from your Life
The negative thoughts are those claims that roam our heads appear unsought and disrupt our well-being. Our brain interprets everything that happens around us, and although it often does so in a useful way. Other times it attacks us with certain thoughts that do nothing but harm us.
These are thoughtless phrases, sometimes guessing the future, sometimes reading other people’s minds. “I’m not going to be able to”, “they think I’m an idiot”, “I always fail in these things.” These types of thoughts attack our self-esteem and create insecurity that only leads to more negative thoughts and low self-esteem.
It is important to neutralize and end these types of phrases that circulate in our head, attracting negativity and that is not useful at all. In fact, if we enter the circle of negative thoughts, we can end up suffering from mood disorders such as stress, anxiety or depression.
Getting rid of them is not easy, but the sooner we identify them, the sooner we can rid ourselves of these pernicious enemies.
What are the most common negative thoughts?
Find out which are the most frequent negative thoughts we have. These thoughts have the power to limit us and stunt our development. Knowing them is the first step to change them.
Here is a list of some of the most common negative thoughts, explaining what each of them consists of. Thus, you can identify them and try to avoid them.
1. Dichotomous thinking:
Dichotomous thinking is a rigid and inflexible type of thinking, with no nuances between black and white. Therefore, it is based on the assumption of two mutually exclusive categories, ignoring the intermediate elements and other nuances.
That is, it is about those thoughts that are located in the extremes. For example:
“You are with me or against me.”
“Either I do it well or I don’t.”
“All or nothing.”
“Now or never.”
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2. Fear of what they will say:
Who has not ever gone down the street thinking about “what will they say”? This increases especially when we think that we are not dressed properly or we have to speak in public which is very negative for ourselves since we cannot live pending others. Remember that everyone can make mistakes and that what is really important is what you believe about yourself.
3. Wanting to have everything under control:
When we vehemently believe that something can go wrong, our mind will support this idea and recommend that we abandon our endeavor, with thoughts such as:
“It sure is going to go wrong.”
“I’m not good for this.”
“It’s not worth trying.”
There are many negative thoughts that the only thing they will do is that we always stay in the comfort zone. But remember that he who “does not risk, does not win. Negative thoughts can cause us to never get out of our comfort zone.
4. Generalize the negative:
Some people tend to stick with the negative. For this reason, it is normal that when something bad happens they believe that it will become a universal norm. Success often comes after a multitude of failures; saying that something bad will always happen because it happened only once is meaningless.
5. Disqualify both ourselves and the rest:
When we conflict with ourselves or with anyone close to us, it is normal for irrational thoughts to arise in our mind such as:
“This person is worthless.”
“But what nonsense are you saying.”
“I really like you.”
But you should never get carried away by anger or impulsiveness, as it only serves to draw hasty conclusions that, later, we may regret.
6. Dramatize the situation:
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If we want to overcome these situations, it is best not to exaggerate everything and have future prospects. Lots of people have gone through your situation (or even worse) and all have been able to rebuild their lives and move on. Negative thoughts feed off how dramatic you can be.
Thought influences action: Negativity calls for more Negativity
If we really think that something can go wrong, it is obvious that it will go wrong. This is called a self-fulfilling prophecy. But what happened will not be a matter of fate or bad luck as some say, but of the negativity that invades our mind and affects our capacity for action; which will produce a chain effect with dire consequences for our self-esteem.
How to stop Negative Thoughts?
The great doubt that we are presented within this type of situation lies in how to change them. We know that negative thoughts are installed in our minds. They circulate through our heads without anyone having invited them, but finding the ideal environment to stay.
If you have come this far, surely you have identified them. Congratulations, this is the first step in ending negative thoughts. Now you just have to follow our advice so that these types of negative thoughts do not control your life.
Take care of your body language:
Did you know that a smile has a bilateral power?
That is, you smile because you are in a better mood, but you can also do the opposite. If you find yourself down and force a smile, you may feel better; and so, with everything related to body language.
If negative thoughts flood your head, change your posture. Don’t be hunched over or frown. They are comfortable with these gestures, so, to throw them, change the face.
Many of these negative thoughts do not make any sense. We make catastrophic claims, we guess what’s going to happen, and we get into other people’s minds with absolute certainty that what we interpret is true.
If we stop to think about what we say and how we say it, we may find certain incongruities in these thoughts that will make them disappear. Another way to do it is by talking about it. In this way, by saying it out loud, we can see how irrational they seem and give them the kick they deserve.
Move On:
When something is ruminating in your head don’t let it catch you. Get moving, that is, go for a walk, play sports, do a little yoga. And if not, just keep your head busy with something else.
Sometimes negative thoughts appear as a symptom of boredom, so do something useful, something that feels good to you and does not leave space or time for these types of thoughts.
Practice Meditation:
Surely you have heard more and more about yoga or meditation as a remedy for your well-being problems. And it is not for less, since the benefits for your health are scientifically proven.
Ruminations are the worst enemies of our well-being. Turning our heads around nonsensical things, that hurt us, that cause us more and more negative thoughts. Thanks to meditation, we can find a way to stop it.
We recommend that you try any of the meditation techniques if negative thoughts threaten your well-being. In addition, you do not have to dress in orange or spend hours meditating, you can start little by little and you will see how you will immediately notice the results.
According to Beck (1983), negative thoughts are rigid, inflexible, absolutist. They also have the form of “I have to”, “I must of”. On the other hand, positive thoughts are flexible, possible, and adaptive. And they have the form of “I would like it to”, “I would like it to”.
So by changing the way we think, we can change the way we feel, and, therefore, our way of behaving. New adaptive thinking patterns are worth learning through, for example, cognitive psychotherapy.
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