Having a positive attitude is very key to succeeding with life and in life, be it in our finances, our relationships, or our health. Finding a way to always stay positive in life and making every day a worry-less day has a way of improving the quality and length of life we live here on earth. Surrounding yourself with negativity or negative people has a way of draining one’s energy and vitality, making life burdensome, stressful, and uneventful.
To mindfully end the negativity spiral or the negative thinking can be a hard habit to break. I would also confess that it’s as though it is a lot easier to see all the things going wrong around us and to want to dwell on them. That’s like our default mode, or maybe it’s what the world we live in has shaped us into. We’re surrounded every day by news of negative things happening around us so our brains have been subconsciously wired to pick and dwell on negative events happening around us.
In order to break these negative habits and dwell on the positive ones, you have to be intentional about them. One has to be conscious of the negativity in and around them and also make deliberate attempts to replace the negativity with a more positive outlook.
A healthy positive attitude will lead to happiness and it can change your entire life. It will affect your whole environment including the people around you. If only it were possible for everyone to choose to see and dwell on the positive side of life, we would be living in a totally different world today.
If you wish to change your negative beliefs into empowering beliefs then you must rewire your brain. This is where your self-control and discipline play an important role. You have to deliberately search out the positives in everything, even in those situations that appear negative, and also try to avoid them from happening again. Working hard to develop this type of mindset is a life-worthy exercise.
So how does one achieve this? How do you rewire your brain to start dwelling on the positives, even when it appears you have long set your mind on negative thoughts for a long time?
Well, in simple terms you have to undo exactly what you did to get into the negative spiral of thoughts if you want to untangle yourself from it. You have to take note of the positives when they occur or actively seek them out, dwell on them repeatedly over and over until it becomes a part of your thought process or programming just like you did (even though unconsciously) with the negative thoughts.
Once you’re able to do this, you will create new neural networks in the brain which will grow impressively strong through constant practice.
A simple mindfulness practice consisting of five steps that you can adopt to help you rewire your negative thoughts into more positive ones is highlighted below.
- Accept
The moment you find yourself slipping into that negative zone, it’s best you pause, take a deep breath, and reflect for a minute to know what exactly is going on within you. Calmly allow those thoughts and feelings to wash over you without giving any interpretation or coming to any conclusions about them. Just accept it, embrace it and watch it ease out of your system just like it came in. This might take hours or days or even weeks doesn’t matter. Just make sure to not react whenever the thought pops up and then wait for it to slide out of your mind within that moment.
Reactions like fear, anger, and guilt are natural and temporary. Ironically enough, embracing those so-called negative emotions makes them lose their intensity and control over you.
- Pay attention
Pay attention to your body to pick up what sensations may be arising in your body at every moment. Next, notice the untrue or unkind stories you tell yourself. Listen to what you say to yourself in your private time. Write them down if you have to and see if you’ll find any repetitive patterns in them. Playing the role of an observer helps you gain distance and perspective from your reactions so you can unhook from them. Creating this space gives you room to think and respond in a healthier way. Make sure to come from only a curious, non-judgmental place. Be careful not to label any of those thoughts bad or good.
- Act, don’t react
Rather than letting negativity throw you off course, function with it instead. Once you’re aware of those negative thoughts and feelings that may be causing you distress, take precise actions to address them and possibly turn them for good. Forgive, seek forgiveness, speak to someone about it, or maybe you just need to do or say something to call a truce. Whatever works, do it but with the intent to make it right if you could.
While setting out, visualize success. What will it look like if you’re able to turn things around? How will it feel? Dwell on these thoughts and celebrate your wins along the way, no matter how large or small.
- Repeat
Have you tried it? Is it working? Then don’t stop now. Whenever you catch yourself getting caught up in a downward spiral, repeat the three steps above: Accept, pay attention, and then act. The more frequently you do this, the stronger your positive pattern becomes.
- Hope
The final step in this five-step approach is to continuously hope for constant improvements. Be patient with yourself. Changing your mindset isn’t an overnight process. On the path to progress, bad things or feelings will still happen. That’s fine! See each one as another opportunity to practice your newfound habit. That way, you’ve succeeded in diminishing the power or pain of its sting in your heart. Sometimes, you can anticipate the setbacks that happen, that way you’re in a better position to cope with the negativity when it arises.
Remind yourself also that some of the negative thoughts we dwell on most times, turn out not to be true or never really come to pass as we thought. Most times, our thoughts about them are not a true reflection of what the true situation is, so why give them so much focus?
Redirect that energy towards becoming positivity instead. When life doesn’t go as planned or feels out of control, don’t let fear and worry take over. Negativity only creates misery and positivity creates happiness.
In closing, let’s reiterate those five steps once again that can help you deal with negativity;
- Accept
- Pay attention
- Act, don’t react
- Repeat, and
- Hope
Removing negative thoughts and staying positive is a practical way to train yourself to be happier.
The more you exude positivity, the better your chances of finding lasting success and happiness.
With Love and gratitude as always, Xo!
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Disclaimer: Please note that I am not your doctor while I am a health coach by profession. This article is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice nor does it establish any kind of medical relationship between you and me. I will not be held liable for any damage resulting from or related to your use of this information.