Life is not a bed of roses.

You all may agree with this…right.

Yes….Struggles, disappointments, failures, rejections, mistakes, criticisms and judgements are an integral part of human experiences. Over the period of time, these experiences lead to feelings of sadness, hopelessness, guilt, regret and self-doubt. 

On the top of that, bad happenings in the surrounding further fuel this negativity by forcing you to think “world as a worst place” to live.

Unfortunately, you can’t control the external forces impacting your lives. 

At the same time,  you can’t allow negativity to hijack your mind.

In such scenario, is it possible to control negative thoughts ?

The answer is yes.

Analyzing the situation and thinking in right direction is definitely in your control that would surely help to minimize negativity.

In short, you need to control your thought process that would minimize the impact of negativity and make your life meaningful.

Understand the basis of disturbance

If something goes wrong in your life, directly don’t jump to the conclusion. Instead of over-reacting on small issues of life, first figure out the nature of disturbance. 

Ask yourself some basic questions like is this the real problem to worry? Isn’t it just an excessive imagination of my mind?

When the problem is real then find out the possible solutions to overcome it. You can take help of others who can guide you well. Realize that with a proper approach, a problem can be fixed.

If a problem is just an excessive imagination of your mind, leave it behind. Majority of negative thoughts starts in your brain. If you are constantly thinking negative about your life, remember that your thoughts are not always fact.

Uncertainty is an important reason to induce fear, worry and anxiety. As a human, we are habitual to imagine a worst-case scenario in every uncertain situation. This gives rise to spiral of distressing thoughts and drains your precious mental energy. 

At this stage, instead of worrying too much about situation, why not to change your talk to yourself ?

Train your mind to replace negative thoughts with right one for that particular situation. 

For example, replace “I can’t do it ?” as “I will try to give my best”.

Right thought process makes sure that your thoughts are right for that moment and for that situation. This gives you an opportunity to learn from situation and make necessary changes so that you can be prepared for further challenges. 

Avoid unnecessary conversation

As a part of society, all of us have to face criticism and judgement. Every person is different and therefore, their opinion too. Don’t entangle yourself too much in proving others. Someone else opinion about you doesn’t become your reality. It’s perfectly normal to listen to the people but it’s not okay to dwell on unnecessary conversation. 

There is no perfect way to live a life. The thoughts and opinions of others do not matter. People are going to judge you no matter what you do. Their opinion about you is based on their limited view into you. It could also be the result of number of emotions like envy, jealousy, hate or regret.  What people are saying about you is the reflection of their mindset. It’s completely your choice to either accept other’s opinion or just ignore it. Trust yourself and be yourself.

Moreover, distance yourself from the people who constantly dump their negativity on you. Don’t hang around the people who are consistently negative. This saves a lot of energy. If you have to be around them remind yourself that it’s a problem with their perception and behaviour.

Focus on good things

Life juggles between good times and bad times and it’s our natural tendency to focus on negative happenings only. However, this creates unnecessary disturbance and life seems as boring and meaningless. The more you focus on a negative aspect of life, the problem always looks complex. 

No matter how unfair our life is, but certainly there are good things also. These may be simple things like your body is healthy to take a long walk; you have someone in life who is totally honest to you even in challenging times; you have good old memories with friends and family; you have a cozy home and loving family; you are surrounded by beautiful nature and the most important that you are alive to see all those good things. 

Don’t you think we are the most comfortable generation on this planet compared to our previous ones. You may have all those comfort that other people just dream of. You should be grateful for these little things in your life.

Bad experiences stay in our mind for prolong period compared to good one. 

Why not to train your mind to remember good events from your past ? There are always positive events and achievement that you should cherish. 

Achievements in education and extra-curricular activities; getting a dream job; promotion at a workplace; buying a new house; welcoming new member in family and reunion with old friends all are meaningful and positive life events. 

Remembering positive life events enhance a sense of happiness, fulfillment and life satisfaction. When you are joyful, you see a world as a better place to live. Re-living all those happy moments boost joy and satisfaction and also help to explore hidden potential within you.

Experiencing negativity is an universal phenomenon. Everyone has it at some point of time. But keep in mind that bad days doesn’t last forever and they are only meant to reshape your life. Negative experiences are often blessings in disguise.

Make a conscious choice to think in a right way every day and each moment.

Disclaimer 

Mediclin Brain Health’s content is for informational and educational purposes only. Our website is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.