Many times, when we have a problem, an unknown situation or a new opportunity, the first thing we do is have some negative thoughts. For example, when we do a job interview it is very common to think that they will not give us the position or when we do an exam we think we are going to fail.
Another very common way of reacting is to become paralyzed or have anxiety. But having these types of negative thoughts and adopting this attitude, what happens is that those thoughts stop us from enjoying the moment or even causing us to fail before we start.
Although negative thoughts do not define us, it is important that we do not let them take control of our life because doing so can lead to depression, our social relationships deteriorate and our self-esteem falls into a hole.
To prevent this from happening, it is important that we identify the problem and put a series of techniques into practice.
Some ways to avoid negative thoughts
As we have said before, the first thing we must do is detect these thoughts. A good way to do this is to write down what we think. If we have a notebook nearby, we can write it down as soon as these ideas come to mind. At the end of the day if we read it we will be able to identify which thoughts benefit us and which ones do not. Also if they are very recurrent or when they come to us.
Replace those thoughts: Once we have identified them, we have to change them for more positive ones. For every negative idea that crosses our mind, we should try to find two positive ones. For example, instead of thinking “I’m not ready for this job”, you can think “I have a lot to give to this company”.
Appreciate the little good things in life: Negative thoughts often stop us from appreciating the good things that surround us. Let’s do an exercise to detect small good or positive details that we have in our life, so when something negative comes to mind, we can remember all the good things and it will make the negative thought disappear.
Exercise in a conscious way: Sport helps to disconnect. In addition, it allows the body to relax because it reduces the level of cortisol, the stress hormone. If the exercises are done consciously, paying attention to the sensations, we can connect with the here and now, one of the main principles of mindfulness.
Improves self-esteem and relationships with others: One way to do this is by being grateful for what you have and appreciating who you are, both physically and mentally. In addition to expressing the gratitude we have towards other people. This will help us to value more what we have, to realize how lucky we are and to create healthy and positive relationships with the people we care about. As a consequence, they will give us positive evaluations about ourselves, which will increase our self-esteem and the way we see ourselves.
Look for positive people: This advice is related to the previous one. If we say positive things, others will say positive things about us. In the same way, if our social and family circle is made up of positive people, we get that positivism. But if we are surrounded by negative people, we also get their negativity. Therefore, we should prioritize positive people in our life to have positive thoughts.
Throw away negative thoughts: a very easy exercise to do is to literally throw negativity in the trash. To do this, we have to write down the negative ideas that we are having on a sheet of paper and then throw it in the trash. Before we can wrinkle or break it. It also works if we do it in a document on the computer. The fact of throwing that sheet away allows us to associate the thought as something useless for us, that it has no value and that it should not be in our life.
Do not complain so much and stop generalizing every time something negative happens to you, it will make the experience not last as long, we turn the page faster or even that it does not affect us. By not giving it that much importance, its consequences will be reduced.