Having negative thoughts playing out like a movie only brings you grief, which is something that I have experienced numerous times in my life.
If the thoughts running through your mind are mainly negative, then chances are that your outlook on life is going to be pessimistic.
It might not always seem that way because your thinking patterns have become so habitual, but with some mindfulness and a bit of time, you can replace the negative thoughts with more positive ones.
What is absolutely crucial, and what many people miss, is that you cannot simply replace negative thoughts with positive ones.
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Positivity
The next step in the process is developing positive statements you can tell yourself to replace those negative thoughts every time you catch yourself thinking them.
Replacing overly negative thoughts with more realistic statements can motivate you to take positive actions, which is the key to creating the type of life you want to live. If you find your thoughts are mostly negative, try finding ways to put a positive spin on them.
For most people who realize that their thinking patterns are working against them, learning to shift their negative thoughts could change their life.
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Identifying Your Thoughts
Learn about the most common thought patterns, how to identify automatic negative thinking, and ways to redirect and allow yourself to think in the gentle, constructive ways that you need. Writing down and reading back over your thoughts may help you express yourself, and possibly break the cycle of negative thinking.
While sharing thoughts with someone may be difficult, a therapist can evaluate your negative thought patterns and help you to establish a healthier internal dialogue.
When you are aware of your triggers, you can be prepared and feel more in control of your thoughts instead of falling back on old negative thought patterns. Even once you have learned how to identify these negative self-talk patterns, they may still be hard to shift.
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One pattern that frequently comes up when you are stuck in a negative mindset is persistent self-criticism. Putting negative labels on yourself and on people and things around you is another very common kind of damaging thinking pattern that a lot of people participate in every day without giving it much thought.
Every day, I write down each negative or positive thought, where it happened, why it happened, and with whom it happened.
If you are looking to be more optimistic and commit to thinking more positively, start by identifying the areas in your life that you typically think negatively about, whether that is at work, on the commute, or with your relationships.
Shifting your way of thinking means that you are intentionally interrupting a well-established thought pattern.
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This post was previously published on medium.com.
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You may also like these posts on The Good Men Project:
White Fragility: Talking to White People About Racism | Escape the “Act Like a Man” Box | The Lack of Gentle Platonic Touch in Men’s Lives is a Killer | What We Talk About When We Talk About Men |
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Photo credit: Pietro Tebaldi on Unsplash