6 Simple Strategies to Stop Negative Thoughts and Become the Happiest Person
Are there times when you think thoughts that make you feel anxious, fearful, or sad? Do those negative thoughts come back no matter how hard you try to stop them? It’s normal to experience negative thoughts from time to time, but sometimes they can become so persistent that they interfere with our daily lives.
If positive thinking and happiness are important to you, then learning how to stop negative thoughts is essential. Negative thinking can be draining and even frightening because it is often accompanied by anxiety and depression. Therefore, it is important for us to learn to stop negative thoughts because they have a long-term effect on our thinking.
Why do we have negative thoughts?
If you’ve ever tried to stop negative thoughts, you know how difficult it can be. But why do we have negative thoughts in the first place? There are many reasons, but the most common are the following:
Identify the way of thinking that is causing the negative thoughts
If you want to know how to stop negative thoughts, you first need to identify the thought pattern that is causing them. You may know that your thoughts are negative, but not know why they are so.
You can do this by asking yourself the following questions:
– What do these thoughts make you feel?
– What is the purpose of these thoughts?
– What facts support these thoughts?
Learn to breathe and use mindfulness to stop negative thoughts
When we are stressed, our bodies produce more cortisol than usual, which can cause negative thoughts. Therefore, it is important to learn how to stop them. The best way to do this is to learn to use mindfulness.
Mindfulness is the practice of focusing on the breath and the present moment with curiosity and without judgment. This is a very simple strategy for stopping negative thoughts. By focusing on your breath, you will become calmer and less anxious. Moreover, by focusing on the present moment, you will be able to analyze your thoughts objectively.
Breathing while tense, rapid and shallow, can cause negative thoughts and prevent us from being calm. Therefore, to stop negative thoughts, you need to learn how to breathe properly. There are several ways to do this, including the 4-7-8 breathing technique, Kegel exercises and yoga.
Stick to a healthy lifestyle to stop negative thoughts
As mentioned above, cortisol can cause negative thoughts. Therefore, if you want to get rid of negative thoughts, you need to lower your cortisol levels. The best way to do this is to follow a healthy lifestyle.
A healthy diet and exercise program can help you control your cortisol levels and reduce negative thoughts. There are many foods that can help you get rid of negative thoughts. For example, fish, beans, nuts, and yogurt. But you should avoid foods that raise your hormone levels: sugary foods, caffeine, and alcohol.
You should also exercise regularly. A study showed that exercise can reduce cortisol levels by 46 percent.
Finally, you should try to get enough sleep. Studies have shown that not getting enough sleep can increase cortisol levels and cause negative thoughts.
Keep a gratitude journal to stop negative thoughts
Gratitude is one of the best ways to stop negative thoughts because it changes the way we think and focuses our attention on the good things in life. The more grateful you are, the less likely you are to have negative thoughts.
One simple strategy for dealing with negative thoughts is to keep a gratitude journal. In this journal, you should write down 5 things that you are grateful for each day. Studies have shown that this can greatly improve your mental health. Another benefit of keeping a journal is that it is easy to keep. You can do it anytime, anywhere, so you will have no excuse for not doing it.
Summary
Negative thinking is okay, but it can become a problem if it begins to affect your daily life. However, you do not have to live this way. With some effort, you can learn how to stop negative thoughts and improve your mental health. There are many reasons why we have negative thoughts, and it can be difficult to overcome them. However, with the right strategies, you can learn to stop negative thoughts and live a happier and healthier life.
This article is written by a therapist from Sensera – a self-help app that provides daily CBT audio sessions and exercises. The app helps people deal with a variety of mental issues (anxiety, low self-esteem, relationship problems). Download Sensera now to become happier!
