What we say to ourselves can have an impact on our confidence and happiness. At times we can become overly critical and allow negative thinking to keep us stagnant. It’s important to learn ways to get rid of negative thoughts and change your mindset.
You have to be intentional about staying focused on the positive and it won’t happen overnight!
In this post, I’m sharing what I’ve been doing in my daily routine to reduce the amount of negativity in my mind. Following these tips will help you to take control of your mental wellness and become happier.
How to Get Rid of Negative Thoughts
Stop Overthinking
Overthinking is common because we want to make sure we make the best decisions and have control over what happens. However, doing this can drain you and harm your mental and physical health.
One thing I want to bring up from my previous post on How to Manage Anxiety and Depression is what my therapist recommended: “Take 15 minutes each day to worry about anything you want. After those 15 minutes are up, push those thoughts to the side and continue with your day.”
Setting daily limits on my negative thoughts has helped me stop worrying about situations I have no control over and I’m not emotionally exhausted at the end of the day.
If you don’t have a clear answer or solution for your problem, then it’s something that can be addressed later.
Stop Thinking About the Past
Do you have moments where you think about the mistakes that you made years ago? Having those thoughts can lead to feelings of shame and guilt.
Instead of beating yourself up about it, try to figure out what lessons you can learn from the situation!
My therapist helped me realize that we have to forgive ourselves for things we’re not proud of. We can’t continue to hold it over our heads.
Since you can’t turn back and fix certain mistakes, the only thing you can do is make sure it doesn’t happen again. Instead of it becoming a stumbling block, look at it as a step in the right direction.
Choose Your Company Wisely
I’ve become selective with my friendships and relationships over the years. If you’re always around people who bring negative energy, it can impact your mental health.
It’s easier said than done to cut people out of your life, but sometimes it’s necessary for your peace of mind. You want to focus on being around positive, uplifting energy.
Yes, it does hurt when you have to let go of toxic friendships or relationships, however, the pain is temporary. Your mental health should be a priority!
Related Post: Lessons Learned from Being in a Toxic Relationship
Replace the Negative With Positive
Whenever a negative thought pops up, think about whether or not it makes sense and then replace it with something positive.
What we think and say about ourselves is important. Low confidence and self-esteem will continue to make overcoming negative thoughts more difficult.
When you have a negative thought, acknowledge it by writing it down and then figure out ways to switch your mindset.
Another thing you can do is find positive affirmations to read out loud. For every negative thought, you want to fight back and challenge it with words that will uplift you.
Do More of What You Love
The last thing you can do to get rid of negative thoughts is to focus on doing what you love. Everyone has a hobby or something that brings them fulfillment.
For me, blogging and creating content are what I love, and while I’m doing those things my mind isn’t running all over the place. I don’t have time to worry about anything since I’m having fun!
Most of my negative thoughts creep in when I’m laying down in the quiet with nothing to do. I enjoy keeping myself busy and doing things that make me feel good!
Always make time for self-care whether it’s taking a warm bubble bath with a glass of wine or reading a book. Focus on activities that you enjoy and it’ll become easier to overcome negativity.
Negative thinking has hindered me from experiencing growth, reaching goals, and pursuing new opportunities.
You’ll eventually get tired of the same old feelings and want to put a stop to them. I hope reading this post gave you the motivation you need to take control of your mental health.
We can no longer allow anything to have power over our emotions!
14 Comments
Loved this post. I think a lot of us have problems with this. But what u said makes a huge difference
Thank you sis!
Hi Madisen,
This was a great post. I struggle with some of the same things you mention and I’m really going to give these tips a try. Thank you! 😊
Thank you for reading! I hope these tips help you 🙂
I love these tips!
Thank you love ♥️
I struggle with this too. Especially after having my son. Most times I feel like I’m not the same person I was before I got pregnant, mentally and physically. So I catch myself saying negative things a lot. Those negative thoughts can really ruin my whole day & mood. Thank you for these tips Maddy! They are so helpful! 💜
Thank you for reading love! And yes it can ruin our days and also drain us. It’s exhausting when you’re constantly tearing yourself down in your mind, but it’ll take practice and patience. We’re all in this together ✊🏽 And we will get through those challenging days!
Love this. I overthink way too much and I’m working on it!
Thank you sis! And yes girl I’m sure we all do. I’ve been working on it myself because honestly, my thoughts go too far 😩
I needed this today. Thank you Madisen, great post!
Thank you so much sis! I’m glad it was needed.
Wow, this was an amazing read. I’m going to start using your tips in my daily life.
Thank you so much! I’m excited for you to see the changes after following these tips. ❤️