12 Tips for Stopping Negative Thoughts

Battling PTSD is tough because of all the negative core beliefs the symptoms trigger but particularly the negative thoughts that are generated. Turning off the negative thoughts is almost impossible and even more difficult to forget negative thoughts also exist in your mind. Trying to shift your negative thoughts and focus on positive thoughts is even harder. When you are not able to do so, you feel so defeated and powerless. It seems as though your negative thoughts are continually consuming all your thinking time and the amount of time increases daily. The more you attempt to stop negative thoughts, the more intense and louder they become. 
It is becoming increasingly important to know how to hack into your mind and how to powerfully change your negative thoughts, but also how to consistency manage them over time. 

Below are tips to help you change and manage your negative thoughts.

7 Management Tips for managing negative thoughts patterns and help your mindfulness and convert to positive thinking:

1. Get out in nature. The sunshine and fresh air can help you to feel better and to change your perspective. Just getting up and moving can help to boost your mood and produce positive thoughts.

2. If you are spiritual or religious, use prayer or talking to your higher power.

3. Use creative art, journaling, exercise, expressive writing, and dance.

4. Listen to music that inspires you.

5. Memorize quotes to defuse thought patterns.

6. Eat healthily and mindfully.

7. Count backward from 100 in increments of 4.

These management ideas will enhance your refocusing skills and help you to master the thoughts that stream in your mind.

Longer-Term Management Ideas

Tune into positive thoughts daily.  

Avoid trying to immediately fight off or ignore a negative thought. Instead, form a new positive thought to replace the old one, and focus on believing in the new positive thinking. Be sure to repeat the new thought often.

Be mindful of your general physical and mental health. 

When you are not feeling well physically mentally or spiritually, the amount of negative thinking you have could increase. Therefore, it is crucial to take care of yourself especially during difficult times.

Eat a well-balanced diet filled with fruits, vegetables, protein, and vitamins. 

Limit your drinking alcohol consumption. Don't overuse non-prescribed prescription medication, or engaging in other forms of substance use.

Exercise consistently, at least 3 to 4 times a week. Exercise is a great way to increase positive emotions, increase physical strength and distract yourself from negative thinking. Consider involving yourself in alternative forms of working-out like hiking, rock-climbing, dancing, aerobics, martial arts, and yoga.

Educate, Increase Knowledge and Support 

Read inspiring articles is a great start. Learning the experiences of others with his/her experiences with their negative thoughts and how they change them from bad to good can give you hope that change is possible. Search the Internet with phrases such as "positivity," "positive phrases," “how to forget negative thoughts” etc. There are many positive people out there that wish to help others to evict negative thought patterns. There are support groups on the internet to help you increase your skill with changing negative thought patterns.

Seek Help 

If negative thoughts are causing you to have extreme emotional swings, or to engage in risky or harmful behaviors. Coaching, therapy or other forms of treatment may help. Contact a counselor, psychologist or life coach. There are several treatment techniques specifically help people alter their negative thinking. No one technique helps everyone. Find on that helps you.   

If ruminating on negative thoughts overwhelms you, you might explore medication options for a short time. Consult a psychiatrist for additional information or to discuss options.

5 Tips to Help You Think Positive

1. Positive thinking patterns can become contagious. Stop surrounding yourself with negative thinking people. Instead, surround yourself with people who make you happy, are optimistic and think positive.

2. Monitor your thoughts at the moment and analyze the appropriateness of each thought. Be aware that your mind is often only tricking you to believe something negative when that isn't true.

3. Start changing your negative thoughts one at a time. Don’t ever expect that you can change all your negative thinking patterns all at once. Be realistic. It is much easier to change negativity to positivity incrementally. Attempting to change all harmful thoughts to excellent thoughts quickly is impossible. Change takes time.

4. Don't push yourself to think positive. Don't try to be perfect. Even the smallest mistake can throw you into more negative thoughts.

5. Be your own support. Accept that negative thoughts are part of the contrast in life and keep in mind that if you don't know what you don't like; you will also not know what you do like. You can choose your thoughts but don't be discouraged if you fall back now and then. Try instead to muster a smile and find the humor in the fact that your mind can be very stubborn at times. Be nice to yourself.

     Coach Bill                                                      

                                   
Visit my website and click here to download a free eBook.