It is so easy, TOO EASY, to let a negative thought pop up in your head. It’s even easier to not realize you’re thinking negative & to let the negative affect your other thoughts & actions following it. Becoming aware of your negative thinking is a skill that is difficult to accept at first, but in the end, it is so much more beneficial to you. Once you practice changing the way you think, you will be in a healthier mental state.
Catch it.
When you start to think negative, most times, it is subconsciously. The first technique that you need to adapt to is catching yourself in your negative thoughts. Immediately, you should realize, oh wait! This isn’t something positive. Another thing to consider is actually checking how your thoughts make you feel. If it is something that makes you anxious or angry, you know that it is negative thinking.
Check it.
After you spot your negative thought, ask yourself: is this a valid feeling or am I overthinking? Would someone else look at this situation the same as me?
This can be difficult because everyone thinks their feelings are valid. It’s hard to actually tell yourself that you’re just in your head too much & that the way you’re feeling is causing you to be so negative when you shouldn’t be. Taking a step back & analyzing your thoughts is probably the most important skill to have. It can save you from a lot of extra stress & anxiety.
Change it.
If you do end up realizing that your thoughts are simply negative & not so much as valid as you thought, this is the opportunity for you to change it on your own. A lot of times, nobody really likes someone else telling them their thoughts are just negative & to “think positive” because it feels like that person just wants you to be wrong. Therefore, let yourself be the one to catch a negative thought & reverse it.
An example could be:
Lately, you’ve picked up a few pounds & everyone has been telling you that you look great, but you still feel as if your body is far from where you want to be. You constantly have negative thoughts about yourself, spend a lot of time beating yourself up over a few pounds, & try to force yourself to not eat as much so you can drop those unwanted pounds.
The negative thoughts about yourself need to be stopped. Thinking that you’re fat & not accepting your body won’t get you any closer to the size you hope to be. In this situation, you’d need to take a minute to tell yourself that everyone else BUT you thinks that you look fine. Be realistic with yourself & say, “it’s just a few pounds. I’m making it seem like it’s a lot more gained weight than it really is.” Flip the negative thought “I need to lose weight. I’ve gained, now I don’t like my body.” to “I will lose weight & work towards the body image that I will be pleased with in a healthy way. A few pounds isn’t that hard to lose.”
There is a saying that goes ” You are what you eat.” the same thing applies to “You are what you believe, you are what you feel, you are who you say you are” in order to manifest the positive things in your life you need to believe in yourself. Remind yourself daily that you are a Queen, you are a King. Treat yourself with kindness, love yourself unconditionally. Do not give up on yourself. God won’t give up on you and neither should you!