Tips for Overcoming Negative Thoughts

Gautama Buddha said that we are shaped by our thoughts and we become what we think. And according to researches, most people generate about 60,000 thoughts per day and over 95% of these are the same ones they had yesterday. James Allen quoted that we are today where our thoughts have brought us and we will be tomorrow where our thoughts take us.

Can we deduce then that the lack of personal growth and success in our lives and the pain and sufferings that we are going through are caused by negative thoughts or negative thinking?

Thoughts come in the form of mental pictures, created or acquired from previous experiences and internal communication or self talk. When there is nothing challenging happening, your thoughts will run randomly and scattered. Your state of mind and emotions will change depending on what triggers you at any point of time. And since these thoughts are repetitions, you'll experience the same problems and emotion day in and day out.

Overcoming Negative Thoughts

Overcoming Negative Thoughts - Acknowledge

Acknowledge that negative thinking has not been helping you. Unless you replace the negative thoughts with positive thinking, you will keep getting the same outcome.

Think of the Benefits

Thoughts become things whether it is negative or positive. When your mind is thinking positive most of the time, you will attract corresponding situations and people into your life. You will feel happier because positive thoughts bring about positive emotions.

Question Your Thoughts

Are your perceptions accurate and useful? Where and from whom did you acquire them? An example is the statement that says money is the root of all evil. If you believe that this is true, then you'll do everything, without your conscious awareness, to distance yourself from it.

One of the ways in overcoming negative thoughts and making corrections is to challenge them by questioning yourself and your way of perceiving. When you get an answer, question the answer further. You can also really try to look at the positive side of things.

When you do these exercises, you are questioning your beliefs or convictions. Once you no longer believe what you were thinking, you can see things differently.

Break Pattern of Thoughts

What if you break into a laughter followed by making a contradicting remark when you hear a small voice inside you saying that you are stupid? What if you imagine yourself lowering the volume of that voice or mentally clicking at the go back button? And what if you mentally delete an image or picture that you don't wish to see?

All these actions are meant to break your pattern of thoughts. When you do the pattern interrupt often enough, your brain starts to get your message.

Reflect

At the end of the day, relax your body and mind. You can do this by doing deep breathing exercise, listening to guided meditation or relaxation hypnosis. When your mind is relaxed, visualize a new self image. Imagine yourself as being confident and optimistic. Include positive affirmations such as "I choose to attract good things into my life" or "I choose to have the power to change my thoughts."

Overcoming negative thoughts isn't easy if you have been entertaining them all your life. But it is possible if you really want to do so and if you persistently and consistently catch your thinking.

Additional Resource

As A Man Thinketh by James Allen

Power of the Mind

Overcoming Negative Thoughts to Personal Growth Home