How to Get Rid of Negative Thoughts
Do you focus on your goal or do you often lose yourself in your thoughts?
Negative thoughts can drain a lot of energy from you. And the effects are fatal. Not only for the psyche but also for the body.
You become tired, powerless, and generally have little desire to tackle anything at all. And the nasty thing about it: The more negative thoughts you have during the day, the stronger they become.
Negative thoughts are the main reason why many people never achieve what they dream of so deeply. Instead of focusing on their dreams and realizing them, they lose all their important life energy in this unnecessary carousel of thoughts.
You run around in your head all day long, discussing back and forth with yourself, but you still get nowhere. Do you want to know what you can do about it? Then you should read on…
You are what you think
Our thoughts shape our world. Just as it looks like on the inside with you, it most likely looks like that on the outside. Here are a few examples:
- You cannot appear self-confident if self-doubt is eating you up inside.
- You cannot appear spontaneous and funny if you think inside that you are a stiff and unfunny person.
- You cannot achieve success if you do not have the necessary inner attitude.
It is said: First comes the inner transformation, then comes the outer transformation. First, you have to get your inner attitude right before your outer world can adjust to this image.
If you look at top athletes or people who perform at their best in other areas, you will find that all these people have worked intensively on their inner world. There is no other way. To break the world record in the 100-meter run, you first have to be able to do it in your head.
If it is impossible in your head, then it will also be impossible in reality.
Conscious human or unconscious robot?
Most people are slaves of their thoughts. They have lost control over their head. Sad but true — this is how most people go through life.
Their thoughts, that is, their old conditionings determine how they behave, how they feel, and how they think about themselves. This unconscious state is comparable to a robot that rattles off its programmed conditionings day after day.
Does this also apply to you? Yes? Then do not be afraid. Because of course there is also a solution here.
You have this great thing called consciousness. And that’s exactly the solution to this (and most other) problems: Being aware of yourself.
You have to become aware of your own condition.
By becoming aware of your thoughts alone, you regain the upper hand over your mental space and can again determine which program you want to have played “up there”.
The four steps to get rid of negative thoughts
Ok, ready for the four steps to get rid of negative thoughts? Here you go:
Step 1: Leave the robot mode
Step number 1 is consciousness. Without consciousness, nothing works.
If you are not aware that you are operating in a negative thought pattern, then there is nothing you can do about it. So: consciousness is the first step. Come out of your automatic robot mode.
To sharpen your consciousness, daily mindfulness exercises help a lot. Here’s an excellent article on how you can achieve such a state:
Step 2: Detective work — look closely
Do not suppress anything, but look at the matter.
Many people try to look away, to push the evil away. Of course, that doesn’t work. On the contrary: it only reinforces the negative thought pattern.
The right approach, no matter what thoughts you have, is to accept them and then observe them. Only then can you work with them.
So take a close look at your negative thoughts. Welcome them into your consciousness and then, examine them. Take them apart. Go into the details.
Think: Why do I have this thought? What has triggered it? Where does it come from? What reasons can I think of that this thought is totally insane? What evidence is there that this thought does not correspond to reality?
Step 3: The alternative search
Choose positive counter-reaction. For every negative thought, you receive repeatedly, find a positive counter-thought. Example:
You often have the negative thought “I cannot do anything”. Then remember a feeling of success where you were really good at something and create a new thought pattern from it.
You don’t even have to have experienced this experience in real life. You can also think of something else. Just imagine a picture at the moment when you do something really well. Try out different mental images or experienced situations and then choose one that suits you.
Step 4: Exchange your thoughts
Replace the negative thought with a positive counter-reaction. Each time you now receive this negative thought, replace it with your positive counter-reaction.
This will require some practice in the beginning. But the more often you become conscious in these situations and go through these four steps, the easier it will be for you.
Get rid of negative thoughts forever
Here again, the 4 steps briefly summarized:
Step 1: Become aware of your thoughts Step 2: Observe and analyze your thoughts Step 3: Think of positive thought as an alternative Step 4: Replace the negative thought with the positive one
The most difficult part of the whole thing is, of course, becoming aware of yourself and your negative thoughts. Often these are very subtle and hidden.
Therefore, the same applies here: Practice, practice, practice. Every day a little bit.
It is about regaining control over your thoughts and to arrange life according to your wishes instead of maneuvering through life like an unconscious robot.
Your old conditionings may be persistent, but by becoming continuously conscious they will decrease in strength and you will become master over your thoughts again step by step.
Read on:
