The law of attraction is all about positive thinking and all related feelings such as hope, optimism, trust, belief, and happiness. There is no place for any form of negativity in its overall scheme of things. Positive emotions are the primary requirement for manifesting goals with the law of attraction.
That said, negative thoughts and emotions are sneaky fellows that creep into your mind unawares, wreaking havoc, and spewing misery. Being human, it is hard for you to escape this malady.
However, with concerted effort, determination, and perseverance, you can manage to keep them to a minimum and in check. You can avoid slipping into negative thinking as often and reduce the impact it has on your life.
Let us see how you can make it happen.
Turning the tables on negative thinking
Negative thoughts bring in more negative thoughts and keep in focus all those things that you are unsatisfied and unhappy about in life. This forms a vicious cycle that can be very difficult to escape from.
Don’t worry. You are not doomed to a life of negativity. All is not lost. There are some effective methods to rescue yourself from this monster.
The first step in this direction is to recognize and acknowledge that you are susceptible to negative thinking. Depending on how deep you have slipped into the habit of negative thinking, the need of the hour is steadfast desire, the right approach, and hard work.
Before exploring how to deal with negative emotions and how to stop negative thoughts, it is important to understand different kinds of negative thoughts.
Negative thoughts examples
No wonder it is said that the idle mind is the devil’s playground. There are so many types of negative thinking that it is impossible to classify and list them. However, these are some of the most common negative thoughts with examples.
Mind reading: “Everyone thinks I am lazy and incompetent.”
Guesswork: “She doesn’t call me because she is angry with me.”
Jumping to conclusions: “He is quiet today. He is mad that I came late yesterday.”
Win or lose: “If I don’t get through this job interview, I am going to remain unemployed forever.”
Doomsday effect: “This is going to be a failure.”
Extrapolating: “I cannot do anything right ever.”
Self-deprecating: “This is entirely my fault.”
Playing down the positive: “They say nice comments because they are family, but it is not what they actually feel.”
Perfectionist: “I should study harder.” “I ought to aim higher.” “I must wake up early.”
You can see that most of the examples given above can come under more than one classification. These examples may be used just as indicators to assess your thoughts.
How to deal with negative emotions?
Using the above list as a guideline, if you think you are having more than a normal share of negative thinking, you can try one or more of these exercises to stop negative thinking.
Find the origin:
Why negative thoughts come in mind? It is not easy to take an impartial view of your thoughts. However, with discipline and determination, it is achievable. Try to ascertain the root cause and reason behind your negative thinking. What is triggering such thoughts?
It must be something from your belief system that is causing the negativity. This particular belief may be from your own past experiences or acquired from others without analysis. Limiting beliefs are harmful and dangerous to the extent that most often you are not even aware of their existence.
The solution is a complete overhauling of your beliefs to check whether they are right for you at this point in life. You will find most of them outdated and irrelevant. Remember that this is not an overnight process. Patience and perseverance are the keys to success.
Reframe to positive:
Often negative thoughts are a result of viewing them from a particular perspective. Train your mind to see them differently and voila! Negative thoughts turn to positive ones. This method is neither magic nor too difficult to practice.
For example, when you thought goes something like “I hate partying because I have no friends”, you may try thinking “Let me go and see whether I can make new friends”. On a more serious note, when your belief forces you to think “I am scared to present my report in front of the crowd”, you can coerce yourself to think “Stage fright exists for everyone. I am not alone. I am well-prepared. I am going to sail through the presentation”.
Stop self-victimizing:
Viewing yourself as the victim of circumstances is the easy way out, but often the wrong one. Take charge of your life and declare to yourself that you are not ready to accept the situation lying down. You want to happy, content, and secure and willing to fight for that.
If you think you are stuck in a rut and helpless about it, no one can help you get out of it. The truth is that there is always a way out of any difficult situation. However, the first step should come from you.
It’s okay to be angry, sad, or scared:
These are also part of human emotions. So, there is nothing to be anxious or ashamed of. The key to a healthy mind is to keep negative emotions in check and prevent them from getting out of hand.
And, a healthy mind doesn’t mean one devoid of negative thoughts. Figure out a way to release those negative emotions instead of suppressing or hiding them. Acknowledge them, deal with them, and move on.
You may also be interested in: How to Remain Calm When Angry
Cleanse your home of bad vibes:
Many times, your negative thinking is a result of bad energy at home. Some of the signs of negative energy in home are toxic relationships, too much complaining, and criticism, blaming, or even cluttering. Identify the reason and take action to clear the air.
The most important point to remember is that humans are after all humans. No one is made perfect. All of us come with our share of good and bad. Some ultimately succeed because they learned how to deal with the bad stuff.
Another point to remember is to leave your past in the past. You may learn from it. But don’t allow your past to define you and your future. No one can predict the future. However, having an optimistic outlook can change your life for the better.
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