Introduction
A positive mindset brings positive things. But if your mindset is negative, how do you change your negatives to positives?
Our minds throw thoughts at us throughout the day (and the night!). Thoughts about past experiences, thoughts about what people said, thoughts about what we still need to do, thoughts about what we did or said wrong, etc. Our minds aren’t quiet for even one minute a day.
If most of our thoughts are negative, our mindset fades us into negative persons, causing us to dread our days. Things don’t have to stay this way, though. It is possible to change our negatives to positives.
Can you replace negative thoughts with positive ones?
Negative thoughts can make us negative persons—negative about ourselves, our situation, and the people around us. Negative energy not only affects us, but others may distance themselves from us.
Even if you have been negative for a long time, it is still possible to change the way you think. Your thought patterns can change from negative to positive—you can exchange negative thoughts with positive ones. This is a process known as cognitive restructuring or reframing.
Cognitive restructuring is the process of recognizing negative or unhelpful thoughts and replacing them with more positive, realistic, or productive ones. This can be done by challenging negative thoughts and looking for evidence that contradicts them, or by finding alternative, more positive ways of looking at a situation (reframing).
It can take time and effort to develop the habit of reframing, but it can be an effective way to improve mood, reduce anxiety, and improve overall mental health. With some effort and consistency from our sides, we can reverse negative thoughts and change our lives from negative to positive.
If you want to move your life ahead, replace the negatives in your life with positives. This article will show you how to take the negative influences in your life away and replace them with positives, so you will have an increase in morale and productivity. Focus on the positive for success and peak performance.
Check if indeed your self-talk is positive or negative
Not sure if your self-talk is positive or negative? Some common forms of negative self-talk include:
Filtering. You focus on the bad and ignore the good.
Personalizing. You always point the finger at yourself when something bad happens. Imagine an evening out with friends gets called off and you think it’s because no one wanted to be with you.
Catastrophizing. You immediately assume the worst without any proof that it will occur.
Blaming. You try to blame someone else for what happened to you instead of taking responsibility. You dodge taking accountability for your thoughts and feelings.
Saying you “should” do something. You are frustrated at yourself for not doing the things you think you should.
Magnifying. You make mountains out of molehills.
Perfectionism. Setting impossible goals and striving for perfection sets you up for failure.
Polarizing. Your perception is limited to either being beneficial or harmful—there is no middle ground.
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How do I change my thoughts from negative to positive?
Most of us are not aware of the amount of negative influences in our lives. We are bombarded with negative messages from the media, the people around us, and, most damaging of all, ourselves. Negative thoughts can hinder our personal growth.
It won’t be instantaneous, but it is doable to turn negative thoughts into positive ones. The most important thing is to start and take it one day at a time. Gradually, you will see your destructive thoughts changing into optimistic ones. Just keep going! Changing a habit takes time.
A powerful tool to help you is to make use of worksheets, such as:
Intrusive Thoughts Worksheets.
Here are 10 steps to take to change your mindset from negative to positive.
Step 1: Acknowledge your negative thoughts
The first step in the process of replacing negatives with positives in your life is to acknowledge you have negative thoughts. Denying it won’t help.
We all have negative thoughts from time to time, but many of us try to ignore them or push them away. However, acknowledging and addressing negative thoughts can actually be a helpful tool for managing our emotions and improving our mental well-being.
When we ignore negative thoughts, they can fester and grow, causing us to feel more anxious or stressed. By acknowledging them, we can examine them more objectively and work through them in a more constructive way. One strategy is to journal your negative thoughts and then looking at them to see if they are true or not.
It’s important to remember that acknowledging negative thoughts doesn’t mean dwelling on them or letting them control your emotions. Instead, try to view them as signals that something may bother you or that you need to address a particular issue in your life.
So, the next time you notice negative thoughts creeping in, take a moment to acknowledge them, examine them objectively, and take further action to address any underlying issues.
Step 2: Examine where the negative thoughts come from
Then examine which negative messages fuel your negative thoughts. And find ways to replace them with positive ones. Choose to focus on the positive aspects of life. This may sound clear, but it may not be as simple as it sounds. It is doable though!
Step 3: Limit your news intake
Begin to cut down on the amount of news you take in. Most people start their day with the news. And of course, most of the news is bad news, fires, floods, etc. Then it is on to traffic and weather, which also stresses the negatives. By the time you have finished your coffee, you have had enough bad news to last a week.
Does all this bad news make you want to throw open the door and greet the new days? Not quite the opposite? And how about the way we end the day? Many of us watch the news before going to bed and get a big dose of negative information just before trying to go to sleep. Is it any wonder so many people have trouble sleeping?
The mood we are in before we go to sleep carries over to the next morning, so you are setting yourself up for starting the next day in a bad mood. Odds are you don’t need all that negative information you are taking in from the news, and you will function just fine without it.
Replace the news you were taking in with such things as motivational tapes, uplifting music, and sites such as happynews.com that stress good news. Or read self motivation intentional quotes that uplift your spirit. Also, reading empowering books helps a great deal. Books can be a fantastic way to recharge your life. Look for success stories, biographies of successful people, etc., and see what works for you. You will feel better right away.
Starting your day with Bible reading and prayer will also greatly improve your day and help you change negative thoughts into positive thoughts.
Step 4: Reduce the amount of TV
Your next step is to limit the amount of TV you watch. A recent study showed that 78% of the people watching TV are not interested in the program they are watching at any given time. Chances are that watching TV may make you feel bored or even stop you from doing more enjoyable activities.
Prime time is the period when most people are watching TV—you can make it your prime time by turning off the TV and using that time to move your life ahead.
Step 5: Stay away from negative people
Next, you need to limit your exposure to negative people. Most people don’t realize how draining it is to be around negative people, but they drain your energy and spirit in many ways. Negative people pull you down. Try to do away with them from your life as much as you can.
Never get involved in the office pity party, or complaint sessions that come your way. Seek people that support you and whom you feel good being around, and use these people to replace the negative people in your life.
Step 6: Stop criticizing yourself
The most damaging source of negativity is ourselves. Most of us generate lots of negative self talk that our minds accept as the truth and results in our being held back in many ways. We focus on our shortcomings, our problems, and spend our time predicting more bad news for ourselves, generating lots of fear and worry, while undercutting our ability to try new things, etc.
Focus on the positive aspects of you. What are your unique strengths, what have you accomplished, how are you different and better than other people? Use visualization and affirmations to build images of yourself accomplishing the things you want and use these to replace the negative images.
Give yourself lots of credit for everything you do right, so you are getting even more positive news about yourself. Set aside three minutes every day to think about all the good things you have in your life right now. Thinking of the good things in your life will generate good feelings for you that will last much of the day.
Step 7: Embrace humor
Allow yourself to smile or laugh, especially when things are tough. Try to find the humor in everyday happenings. Finding the funny side of life can help you reduce stress and turn your negative thoughts into positive ones.
Step 8: Give positive care to your body
Don’t forget to take care of your body. Eat healthy, cut out some bad habits, and get regular exercise in order to boost your self-esteem while building your strength and endurance, so you can accomplish more.
Step 9: Use positive affirmations
Stick to one basic rule: Don’t say anything to yourself that you wouldn’t say to someone else. Treat yourself with gentleness and kindness. Whenever a negative thought pops into your head, take a step back and assess it objectively. Then counter it with positive affirmations about yourself. Reflect on all the blessings in your life.
A powerful tool is to make use of positive 7 letter inspiring words in your affirmations.
Step 10: Help others
Helping others will also help you feel better about yourself. It boosts your happiness level and self-esteem when you think of others first and do something nice. It is fulfilling and helps you replace the negatives with positives.
Take time to get involved in a charity, animal shelter, or other activities that help others. Assist your neighbor, or give a helping hand to a family member. People will provide positive feedback, and you will gain a real understanding of your worth.
The energy you put out will be reflected back to you, so be sure it is positive.
Take-Away
By replacing the negatives in your life with positives, you will make yourself and probably the world a better place. Your mental and physical wellbeing will improve, and you will achieve the goals you set out to do.
replacing negatives with positives is a great strategy to overcome negative thinking.
Nothing is ever accomplished without action, so start now to move your life ahead.
Christel Owoo is a professional Life Coach with ACC-credentials from ICF.
She is passionate about helping women gain confidence.
Do you want to gain confidence in life and live fully in your God-given potential?
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