Ways for Overcoming Negative Thoughts

“It’s better to be an optimist who is sometimes wrong than a pessimist who is always right.”
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Negativity starts with just one thought or feeling.  Or something as simple as a sentence spoken by someone else.

And quickly you will start to move into the negative.

Once in the negative space, it is easy to start feeling yourself.  You begin to question what the point of doing anything is and end up with your own personal rain cloud floating above your head.

Once negativity gets a hold on your mind or in the world around you, it can quickly become toxic and can hold you back from living your life to the fullest and you will think of overcoming negative thoughts.

So when you find yourself in the spiral of negativity, there are things you can do to combat the negativity and find positive balance in your life.

1. When you’re in a negative situation, find what is good or beneficial.

If you find yourself in falling into a negative area, take some time to ask yourself a few questions that will help you refocus your attitude and you can focus on overcoming negative thoughts.

Questions like:

• Where is the good in this situation?
• What can I do differently next time to have a better outcome?
• What can I learn from this situation?

2. Remember: people do not care that much about what you say or do.

It is easy to fall into the negative space when you are focusing on what others may say or think when you do something.  Focusing on what other’s think gives them power over your emotions.  And it is a waste of emotions considering that people are too busy with their own lives to worry much about what you are or are not doing.  Remembering that people are not so concerned about your actions, you will free yourself from the trap that you need to please everyone and it will help in overcoming negative thoughts.

3. Challenge your thoughts

Whenever a negative thought pops up and starts planting roots in your life, remember to challenge those negative thoughts.  Take time to ask yourself: Should I take this thought seriously? Chances are the answer will almost always be a resounding no.  Sometimes negative thoughts pop up in moments where you are tired or hungry and should not take hold in your life.  Challenge them and focus on the positive for overcoming negative thoughts

4. Update your surroundings

What you allow in your mind in your daily life will have a major influence on you.  So start questioning what you allow into your life.  Take time to update your surroundings by asking yourself:

What three things bring the most negativity into my life?

Then ask yourself:

How can I reduce the effects of these negative areas in my life?

If you cannot provide answers on how to reduce all three areas, take time and focus on each one individually.  Ove time it will become easier to push out the negativity and let in more positivity for overcoming negative thoughts.

5. They’re molehills, not mountains sweetheart.

To prevent a small negative thought from becoming a monster in your mind, address it immediately.  The best way you can do this is to zoom out.  It is easy to focus on the negativity when it is the only thing on your mind.  But when you take a step back the thought might not seem so negative.  Will this matter in a week? Will it matter in a year? What about five years from now? In most cases, you will find that this will not matter in even a week so its easier for you to overcome negative thoughts.

6. Talk it out for overcoming negative thoughts

Keeping in the negative thoughts can create a cloud in your mind.  Take time to let all of the negativity out.  Talk them over with someone close to you.  Even venting for a few minutes can reduce some of the negative pressure building inside.  It is also helpful to get a different perspective as it might remove that negative thought altogether for overcoming negative thoughts.

7. Live in the moment and reference it often.

When negative thoughts start to arise, it is likely because you are thinking about something that happened or something that could happen.  To snap out of that negative space, focus on the current moment fully.  If you are focusing on what is right in front of you, you do not have room to focus on the negative by overcoming negative thoughts.