9 strategies that deactivate negative thoughts

It is easy to fall prey to a dynamic of negative thoughts, especially when we have accumulated several and have generated an inertia that mainly affects the filters we use to process information. The thoughts we are talking about can chain together in the same way that a small snowball that we let roll down a slope gets fat. Thus, a small and innocent thought, released without consciousness or intention, can end up becoming a great colossus that contaminates all our emotions, behaviors and other thoughts.

Like the force of the ball that falls uncontrollably, getting bigger, getting faster, Negative thoughts drain us of energy and rob us of strength.. And the more you indulge in those negative thoughts, the stronger they become. What’s more, in the same way that it is more difficult to stop that small snowball when it has already rolled several meters over the valley and has grown in size, it is also more difficult to stop a ball of negative thoughts that has already begun to roll.

What to do with negative thoughts?

Life presents us with challenges, often without giving us a break and without taking into account the resources we have. Having negative or defeatist thoughts in this scenario is normal. However, Feeding them, retaining them or even chasing them decreases the quality of life and poisons the image we have of ourselves.. What need do we have to attack our self-esteem in this way?

Negative thinking sometimes hurts and on many other occasions it conditions our behaviors. It can make us act desperately when there is no need or even encourage the possibility of throwing in the towel when, due to resources and abilities, we would still have a lot to say. Definitely, Negative thoughts usually condition our decisions and not exactly for the better..

Know how to stop them in time

So, Why do we feed negative thinking when we know it hurts us? The problem begins when the first negative thoughts come to mind and we do not treat them well. In short, when the ball is small and has not contaminated everything it touches. For example, there are people who deal with negative thoughts, or rather, the anxiety they produce by “ragging” the refrigerator. A strategy that usually generates even more negative thoughts, in this case regarding our ability to self-control and our body.

With this type of thoughts there is another curious phenomenon: Even if you are aware that you have to forget that thought, it is very difficult to deactivate it. The more you think about forgetting it, the more present you have it. And there you stay, ruminating on an idea that not only gives you a hard time, but can lead you to seriously compromise your mental health.

How to deactivate negative thinking

So how do we eliminate this negative thought? Actually, You Can’t Avoid Negative Thinking Completely. Sometimes negative thoughts are just a spark in our minds. When this happens, we must be aware, so that we can immediately recognize them and thus know when we are thinking negatively.

The following strategies will allow you to deactivate negative thinking and make it easier for you to think positively..

1. Accept your thoughts

Accepting involves opening yourself to the experience that thoughts generate.. Keep in mind that the goal of accepting is not to feel better, but to open yourself to the vitality of the moment so that you can move more effectively toward what you value (O’Connell, 2018).

You’re probably wondering how you can learn to accept those unpleasant experiences. To achieve this, we have taken Hayes (2020) some strategies that can help you:

Hold the experience the same way you would hold a delicate flower. Hold the experience the same way you would hold a crying child. Sit with your experience the same way you would sit next to someone with a serious illness. You look the experience the same way you would look at an extraordinary painting.Honor the experience the same way you would honor a friend, listening carefully to it even if doing so is difficult.Inhale the experience the same way you would take a deep breath.Let go of the experience. Fight with your experience in the same way that a soldier would abandon his weapons to return home. Carry the experience with you in the same way you can carry a photograph in your wallet.

2. Observe your thinking

Negative thoughts are generally the product of cognitive distortions, or irrational thinking patterns. Observe them as if you were a spectator. If you don’t let them take over your mind they will simply dissipate. Visualize them as if they were logs traveling down the river. Sooner or later you will lose sight of them. Accept your negative thoughts and let them go.

You can also think of them as clouds. You observe them but you do not judge them, in this way, you do not get emotionally involved and you do not activate yourself physiologically.. You establish a distance between you and the thought and you realize that you are not your thought. For this, the mindfulness technique would be very beneficial. David (2020) offers several techniques to help you distance yourself:

Think about the process: See yourself in a long process and on a path of continuous growth.Look for the contradiction: Embracing and accepting these contradictions improves your tolerance for uncertainty.Laugh: Humor can be a distancing practice, because it forces us to see new possibilities. But don’t use humor to cover up the real pain.Change your point of view: contemplate your feeling of being rejected from another person’s perspective.Verbalize what worries you: Identify your thought as what it is (a thought) and that emotion of rejection as what it is (an emotion). You can formulate it as “I am having the thought that…” or “I am feeling the emotion…”Talk to yourself in the third person: This strategist allows you to go beyond the point of view of your egocentrism and control your reaction.

3. Reframe any question you are ruminating on

Ruminations are patterns of excessive thinking. When we ruminate on an idea we do so convinced that we can solve something just by thinking about it more. Something that is generally useless. You must clear what is true in your thoughts and discard what you have created in your mind before starting to look for a solution. Don’t be surprised if after eliminating the fantasy you find that there is no problem, beyond the one you have created yourself.

To do this, the ideal is to observe the thought without judging it. Because? By judging it we get involved, we give it a subjective value judgment. If we observe it without prejudice, we will see reality as it is. In this way, we will not go around thinking one thing or another or creating different movies in our minds that only lead us to states of sadness.

4. Move and physically act on your thinking

When you find yourself trapped in a negative thought, get moving. Changing the chip to awaken positive thoughts is not so easy when your mind is busy looking for a way to suffer. It’s a great time to go for a walk, go for a run, dance or practice yoga. Don’t stop to think – your mind is very busy – just let your body take the reins and take your mind somewhere else.

Exercising increases serotonin levels and reduces cortisol, that is, it increases happiness and reduces anxiety. So getting moving when negative thoughts invade us is a great idea that, without a doubt, will bring us quite good results.

5. Avoid negative thought triggers

A song, an image, a reading, what you see on television, the company of certain people… As soon as you discover what stimuli trigger your negative thoughts, avoid them. And, to the extent you can, replace them with others that awaken pleasant sensations in you. Don’t beat yourself up or make it more difficult for yourself.

6. Surround yourself with positive people and pleasant experiences

If what you see, what you hear and what you read is positive, if the people around you are positive, it will be easier to keep negative thinking away. Any negative thought triggers will be easier to defuse if optimism surrounds you. The stimuli that accompany us in our daily lives are very important when it comes to creating a good atmosphere. So the best thing will be to try to find what brings us well-being.

7. Repeat positive affirmations where you previously thought negatively

Negative thinking is usually a learned habit. So, instead of letting yourself be invaded by any habitual negative thoughts, get into the habit of thinking positively in those circumstances. To remember or reinforce it, you can keep it in mind, written on a piece of paper, on your clothes, on the wallpaper of your computer or mobile phone, or even on your own skin.

8. Remember that nobody is perfect

It’s easy to dwell on your mistakes. But the only thing you can do is learn from them and move on. Nothing is going to change no matter how much you ruminate. And if what awakens your negative thoughts is a weakness or limitation, focus on your strengths and virtues. If you can’t change what is there, make the most of what you have. We have the potential to learn from any situation, no matter how adverse it may seem. So if we make a mistake, instead of beating ourselves up, it’s better to learn from it.

9. Keep going

To move forward, despite your negative thoughts, you need to do changes in your way of living, so that it is consistent with your values. Therefore, make small adjustments to your daily routine so that on a day-to-day basis you can live in harmony with the values ​​that move and guide you.

Moving forward means that you no longer allow your negative thoughts to define your life. They may be there, however, they are no longer your behavioral guides. Moving forward will not only help you let go of what is preventing you from moving on with your life.but it will help you live more authentically.

Thoughts won’t last forever

Negative thoughts are fleeting and temporary, unless we do otherwise. They have no real power of their own, but they can do a lot of damage if we give them the opportunity to grow. A thought has no other power than what you give it. Negative thoughts gain momentum when they are activated….