How To Avoid Negative Thoughts And Stay Positive in

It may sound like washed-up bumper-sticker wisdom, but dealing with negative thoughts is crucial for a long, healthy life. However, avoiding might be too strong of a word. The truth is, you can’t really stop intrusive thoughts from attacking your mind. What you can do is learn how to manage negative thinking. That means being aware of your thoughts but also letting them go as they come. This may sound like a formidable challenge to overcome, especially if you’re more of a pessimist than an optimist. But, there is actually a way to rewire yourself to stay positive.

Once you learn how to avoid negative thoughts, your life becomes more fun, enjoyable and you’ll attract a better standard of living.

Your Attitude Can Be Your Ally or Your Worst Enemy

The life-altering secret lies in changing your mindset. Mental attitude is a crucial factor in how you perceive life and the world around you. How you deal with life can impact your overall well-being, including your health, relationships, and career. Not to mention how pessimistic thinking is a horrific spiral attracting more and more despair.

If you’re the one to always see a glass as half-empty, you should do your best to break free from such a devastating way of thinking. Negative thinking can chain you into a vicious circle of stress, anxiety, depression, and harmful substances.

Positivist Has Scientifically Proven Health Benefits

There are different theories as to why those who avoid negative thinking are healthier. However, it’s a fact that a positive attitude helps cope with triggers and life’s challenges. Consequently, stress cannot harm your health as much.

No matter the reason, blocking negative thoughts and staying positive will help your overall health.

Research has shown that optimism leads to:

Increased life span
Lower depression rates
Lower distress rates
Stronger immunity system
Better resistance to the common cold
Better cardiovascular health and reduced heart disease risk
Better coping skills
Overall mental and physical well-being

How to avoid negative thoughts and stay positive - The Monk Mindset

These benefits are just the tip of the iceberg of why you should minimize negative self-talk right now. So, even if it seems unnatural for you, take a chance at optimism. But, before I get into steps to do it, I’m gonna share the best thing to do when you walk into a mind trap.

How To Deal With Negative Thoughts And Cultivate Positivity

Once you notice a negative thought, stop and take a deep, conscious breath. Be with your breath. Once you’re immersed in a more mindful head-space, you can go through the following steps.

Get To Know Your Triggers

Make an inventory of your intruding thoughts, and then dig for their actual source. This is a challenge, I know. But, it will be good for you. Otherwise, you won’t be able to break the vicious circle.

Ignoring your negative thoughts will just make them more persistent. After all, you have to get to know your mind before you can try to control it.

Regarding intrusive thoughts, it’s best if you don’t engage with them. However distressing, they pass as quickly as they come. Accept whatever comes.

Saying your troubles out loud, even if only to yourself, does not have to be discouraging. On the contrary, acceptance can be a fantastic catalyst to finding out the source of your negative thoughts.

Cultivate Positive Self-Talk

Positive, loving self-talk plays a massive role in changing one’s mindset to cultivate positivity. To explain, that does not mean shoving your head in the sand in challenging situations. Instead, it means having faith that you will take the best from a problem, not the worst. And believe it or not, the way you’re talking to yourself matters a lot.

One fantastic way to do that is to position yourself as an outside observer. This works like a charm since it frees you from intense emotions. Once you consciously decide to analyze the situation from the third-person perspective, you stop circling thoughts.

And that is how you step back from the triggering mindset. But, no less importantly, a distanced point of view always helps to see a bigger picture.

Practice Mindfulness

Positivity starts with loving self-talk and healthy thinking patterns. But, you first need to be aware of how your mind works. You can do that by cultivating mindfulness.

Mindfulness lets you stay clear and distanced from negative thoughts lurking to play with your mind. It’s actually an enjoyable way to deal with life’s stressors. So make sure you make it a routine, even if it’s for a few minutes a day.

How to avoid negative thoughts and stay positive.
Mindfulness

Sit in peace and quiet, and once you feel a thought coming, don’t attach yourself to it. Instead, simply shift your focus to breathing.

Incorporating mindfulness in your daily routine is the best way to train your mind to be on the lookout for negative thoughts.

When All Else Fails, Ask For Help

Life can sometimes just be too much. It’s entirely normal to feel overwhelmed and unable to cope. However, if everything fails, you should ask for help. Whether it’s talking with family or friends or seeking professional help. Sometimes simply speaking up about your issues helps immensely. Acknowledging you are not okay is the first step to acceptance, which is also the gate to healing.