Negative thoughts are simply that: unpleasant, agitated, anxiety-inducing mental constructs that are frequently based on past regrets or future anxieties. Positive thoughts outnumber negative or neutral ones for the most part.
Sadness, anxiety, hostility, and hopelessness are all negative emotions that are related to bad ideas. We are often unaware of our negative ideas since they arise naturally and appear rational and believable. Negative thoughts affect everyone at some point, although they are more common and extreme when we are stressed, anxious, irritated, or depressed.
It indicates that negative thinking is more common than positive thinking. Positive thinking appears to take some effort for most people, but negative thinking occurs quickly and frequently without warning.
What Makes You Think Negatively?
Fear of the future?
People are often afraid of the unknown and uncertain about what the future holds. It doesn’t matter how you look at it, worrying about the future is not what needs to be done Accepting that you can’t change the future and instead focusing on the present is one of the strategies to let go of these negative thoughts.
Anxiety about the present?
It’s normal to be concerned about the present. Many of us are concerned about what others think of us if we are performing well at work, and how bad the traffic will be on our way home. Negative thinkers frequently imagine the worst-case scenario: no one loves us at work, our boss is ready to tell us we’ve done bad work, and traffic will cause us to be late picking up the kids.
Guilt about the past?
Have you ever stayed up all night worrying about something you did the week before, or even the year before? Everyone does and says things that make them feel uncomfortable, but negative thinkers are more likely than others to concentrate on past mistakes and failures. Accepting that a mistake occurred and considering how to prevent it from happening again in the future is, of course, more constructive response to mistakes.
Strategies to avoid negative thoughts:
1. When you notice yourself having negative ideas, replace them with good ones.
2. If you find yourself thinking of failure, switch your focus to achievement right away.
3. If you catch yourself saying something unpleasant in a conversation, change it to something good.
4. Rather than stating « I can’t, » say « I can. » You can most of the time, but you choose to say « cannot » out of fear, laziness, or low self-esteem.
5. Do you find yourself repeating unpleasant phrases and thoughts in your head? Change the negative ones to positive ones. Yes, this necessitates increased vigilance and work on your part. Do you wish to transform your negative thinking into positive thinking?
Changing negative thinking habits for the better often demands assistance from a mental health expert. It is important to remember that combating negative thoughts involves consistency and awareness.
Importance of Professional Counseling: A friend or family member may listen to you, but they aren’t professionally, technically qualified or experienced to offer you professional advice. If you wish you can contact us at MindTribe to receive help from our team of expert psychologists.
About MindTribe.in.
MindTribe Founder Dr. Prerna Kohli, India’s eminent psychologist, established the company to leverage the strength of the online to make counseling affordable and accessible to everyone. MindTribe provides counseling, workshops, support groups, forums, and eLearning.
About the Author.
Apoorv Aggarwal is a psychologist at MindTribe.in. You can learn more about her by clicking here
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of MindTribe.in, the Founders, or management team.
Acknowledgement: All images used are open source and from Unsplash.