4 Ways To Deal With Negative Thoughts

This post was most recently updated on August 21st, 2023

[A collaboration post – all thoughts are my own.]

The truth is: we deal with negative thoughts almost every second of our lives. I read somewhere that our brain is powerful enough to influence us negatively or make us think about bad things in our lives when we are alone. I think that’s why people who are easily stressed or depressed are discouraged from being alone. From my understanding, negative thoughts more often come when we are isolated or both mentally and physically exhausted.

First, before we figure out how to deal with negative thoughts, it would be best to understand what thoughts are considered negative. Perhaps thoughts of fear, anger, bitterness, doubt, jealousy, ill-will, and hatred—basically, anything that makes you feel bad inside—give you sadness and helplessness.

While working as a blogger, there are times when I can’t stop comparing myself to others. Even though it’s something I can overcome after blogging for a year, there will be days when I doubt myself and feel jealous.

Then, how do you get rid of negative thoughts? How do you deal with negative thoughts on a daily basis? If only it were so easy to avoid negative thoughts!

However, I got a lot of stress after starting to work from home, and like anything else, to avoid negative thoughts, you need to practice. Practicing positivity!

Pause and take a break

Do you know that feeling where you feel you can get a job done quickly if you focus so much on it?

It took me 1-2 hours to translate a manual project with 1,500+ words and get done subtitling a 60-minute-long video in an hour or more. I put my mind on one task and focus on it so that it can be completed within the estimated timeframe.

But when I’m stuck with words or need to analyze some terms, I start to feel anxious if I can’t finish it within the estimated timeframe. That feeling of anxiety made me start to think negatively. In the end, I realize that I need a certain amount of time with my thoughts, take a break from focusing on them, and move on with my day.

Focus on your strengths

It’s human nature to dwell on negative thoughts and neglect the positive ones. If you found yourself thinking negatively about your actions or personality, take a moment to stop and think about something you like about yourself. The more you practice focusing on your strengths or things you’re good at and not dwelling on mistakes you’ve made, the easier it will be to feel positive about yourself.

Keep positive people around you

I’ve always thought that it’s better to have a few friends who give you positive energy than to have a lot of toxic people around you. You need to avoid negative people if you can, or at least be aware of what habits they may have towards you. When you’re stuck in a negative circle, talk to people who can put things into perspective, someone who is open-minded and won’t feed your negative thoughts.

Be grateful

Happiness is not about money, feeling that you are superior to others, or being able to buy the things you want. Personally, happiness is when you learn to be grateful; count the blessings in your life. You know that very often, we get used to complaining about this and that. Sometimes to vent or joke. Unfortunately, old habits are hard to break.

Try to limit your complaints, practice speaking about the positive aspects of life, and express your gratitude. Be grateful you can still eat every day when there are so many starving kids out there. Be grateful you have a job when at times like this it is still difficult to get a job. Being grateful helps appreciate what you already have. After all, what goes around, comes around.

I found it is always easier to prevent the onset of negative thoughts than to drive them out once they have settled in. So be proactive in your attempt to deal with negative thoughts rather than be reactive. And, time can be the greatest healer. You might just find that positive thoughts have as much chance of entering your mind as negative ones. Let the negative thoughts go so as to make way for the positive ones!

How do you deal with negative thoughts? Is there any method that works for you? Let me know your thoughts below.