We all have negative thoughts at times, imagine them as a few annoying gnats that we might need to swat away, they are there but are not stopping us getting on with our lives.
Some people have swarms of negative thoughts that can seriously stop them from moving forward with their lives. These can stem from childhood or past experiences and have been there so long that they hardly notice all these negative automatic thoughts going on in the background.
Often these thoughts are angry, sad or fearful and can spiral to make us feel bad. Negative thinking can cause a vicious circle, which can make us feel worse and out of control.
The things we say to ourselves are things that we would not dream of saying to a friend. Once we are aware of these thoughts we have the power to change them and become our own best friend instead.
Once you have identified thoughts then change them into something more positive. Thoughts such as “I’ll never get better” or “I have not achieved anything today” are challenged, and a more helpful thought found to replace it.
People sometimes put off tasks and getting things done, as they seem too daunting. Just thinking about it seems too much. However, challenging the thought and taking one small step can break the negative cycle, bringing a feeling of control.
When a negative thought creeps in, swop it for something positive – something that you could say to a friend, after all it is impossible to think two thoughts at once.
I’ll leave you with these words from Shad Helmstetter’s 365 days of Positive Self-talk book:
“When I change my self-talk, I change what I believe about myself. When I change what I believe about myself, I change my attitude. When I change my attitude, I change my feelings. When I change my feelings, I change my actions. And when I take the right actions, I create my success”.
Are negative thoughts affecting your life? Give me a call on: 0797 4443363