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Deborah Bianca • Jul 24, 2022

HOW TO APPROACH NEGATIVE THOUGHTS

The power of your mind

We are all familiar with that tiny voice that gets loud when we’re on the right track. You know which one I'm talking about. The one that points out what can go wrong, why you won’t achieve your goals and makes you wonder if you are worthy. Additionally, in this digital age, it's easy to get influenced by others, and their words can have an impact on us. I have found a way to protect myself from those elements.

I learned an effective and powerful technique to deal with these negative thoughts. In this blog, I will share with you why it is important to manage your thoughts, how I approach a negative thought and how it has forever changed my life and outlook on life. 


Why Does Positive Thinking Matter?


Our mind is an incredibly powerful tool that can either make us feel like we are invincible or bring us down to a level where we feel there is no way out. It’s important to realise that we have no control over our thoughts, but we do have the ability to entertain or dismiss them. We tend to make things up in our heads with no basis in reality and cause ourselves to fear things that most likely will never happen.

Neuroscientists have discovered that repetitive thoughts form neural pathways as neurons that fire together get wired together. Thus, the more a particular thought or belief is activated and reinforced, the stronger these neural pathways become and the more automatically they become our "go to" pattern of perceiving. This is called "neuroplasticity." In simpler terms, you can regain control of your mind and rewire your brain to bring forth more positive and happy thoughts.


How to approach a negative thought


Step 1: Identify the thought.

When that thought comes up, take a moment to acknowledge it. Observe, but don't engage yet. Resist the urge to ignore it or push it down. The more you try to eliminate the thought, the more it will surface. This is known as "thought rebounding." The thoughts will creep their way back into our minds, sometimes in the form of dreams, thus making the situation worse. Don’t forget that it’s just a thought and not a fact. 

Envision the thought and give it form. It can be any form you feel that thought represents. I see it as a human-like shape with no distinctive features like eyes, nose, or mouth. 


Step 2: Approach the thought.

After you’ve identified the thought, it’s time to approach and engage with it. Find out why it’s there. Your goal now is to find out where it stems from. I approach the human-like shape as if it is a person and communicate with it. 

They never pop out of nowhere and always have an origin. Asking the right questions will help in getting to the source of that negative thought. 


Introduce yourself first, and then inquire as to why you are here. What do you hope to accomplish by being here? Why do you think that way? Every time I get an answer to my question, I again ask why or whichever question that will help break down the previous answer until it is crystal clear where the thought originated from. Make it give a clear and detailed explanation for how it presents itself, but don’t judge it. It’s there for a reason.


Step 3: Challenge the thought

Then, once you get to the root of this negative thought, present it with evidence that will contradict it and support a more positive view. Is it even a realistic and valid thought? Don’t be afraid to challenge that thought and substitute the explanation with more precise and concrete evidence. Do not engage in the negativity but counter it with practical and constructive rebuttals. State facts about you that are the opposite of what that thought is. When you find it hard to challenge the idea, make a list of your best qualities and present those as proof of your competence.


Step 4: Mindfulness

One practice of mindfulness is to pay attention to what is occurring in the present moment by observing your thoughts, feelings, and sensations as they arise. bringing awareness to your current state. It’s crucial to make this into a habit and keep it going on a daily basis. 5 minutes a day is a good way to start. From there, you can add more minutes until you reach the amount of time you find sufficient to complete a session.

Mindfulness is available to us in every moment, whether through meditations and body scans, or mindful moment practices like taking time to pause and breathe when the phone rings instead of rushing to answer it.


Conclusion

It will be difficult at first, but with time and practice, the positive thoughts will come more easily. Also, when questioning the negative thoughts, you might encounter some deep-rooted beliefs emerging from a place you had no idea existed. This can be alarming and cause uneasiness. Nevertheless, don't back away from them.

If you struggle with negative thoughts and it is having a significant effect on your life, consider getting professional help. Sharing your private thoughts and feelings is not easy, but a therapist can help assess negative thinking patterns and guide you to a more positive mindset in a professional manner.


Resources:

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/do-you-know-how-powerful_b_4705523

https://explorable.com/thought-rebound#: : text = Thought%20rebound%20is%20what%20happens, the% 20back%20into%20their%20subconscious.

https://www.mindful.org/meditation/mindfulness-getting-started/

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