6 Powerful Suggestions to Stop Negative Thoughts

Having realized just how harmful negative thoughts can be, many people tend to express interest in knowing how they can stop such thoughts. Thus, a question typically put across to counselors by their clients is ‘how do I stop negative thoughts.’ It is not a very easy question to answer, when you come to think of it. That, more often than not, has to be answered by introducing the asker to the complex workings of the mind – especially the so-called subconscious mind – which can be quite a bit of work.

Of course, some of the people who put the question across know the answers: it is just that they are, in most cases, not confident whether those are the ‘right’ answers. Others know the answers to question as to ‘how do I stop negative thoughts’ subconsciously -- but they don’t (consciously) know that they actually have the answers in them.

This is why many skilled counselors tend to put the question back to the askers: where they tell the askers to tell them what they’d give, in terms of an answer, if someone posed the question (as to ‘how do I stop negative thoughts’) to them. This normally gets them thinking, and the advantage with solutions originating from clients -- as opposed to solutions suggested by the counselors -- is in that the solutions originating from the clients tend to be more easily implemented.

Nonetheless, in cases where clients are completely unable to give the counselors are forced to offer suggestions. We now venture to look at some of the suggestions that can be offered to people trying to figure out how to think more positive.

Stopping negative thoughts by working on self esteem

It emerges that some of the thoughts that disturb the people who wants to change how they views themselves are things like self-criticisms, self-doubt, worries about others perceptions and so on – which can all be resolved by improving self esteem. Indeed, upon deep introspection, many of the people who wonder how to change their thinking patterns discover that they have undetected self-esteem issues. And those are typically issues they have to deal with, if they are to stop such negative thoughts at the root.

Working on self-esteem ultimately becomes a question of working on one’s relationship with himself or herself. Once that relationship is improved to a point where one treats himself or a herself as a ‘dear friend’ many of the negative thoughts that arose as a result of low self esteem are done away with. In the final analysis, it seems as if these thoughts are as much a cause as they are a result of low self-esteem.

Stopping negative thoughts by cultivating gratitude

Being grateful puts one in a positive frame and in that state of being it is quite hard to entertain bad thoughts. Some of the people who want to change their thinking pattern turn out to be folks whose self-esteem may be alright, but who don’t have a grateful attitude. Once they cultivate moment to moment gratitude, their minds become ‘hostile’ to a negative thinking pattern, which can’t take root in a gratitude-filled mind.

Stopping negative thoughts by living in the moment (mindfulness)

A good percentage of the bad thoughts people seek to stop turn out to be regrets -- originating from things done (or things not done) in the past. Others turn out to be worries – about things in the future. These are the types of bad thoughts that can be stopped through the cultivation of mindfulness. A good number of the people who pose the question on ‘how do I stop negative thoughts’ are advised to start practicing moment to moment mindfulness, and this makes them feel more positive. Another key to success here is learning to accept and savor the present reality (whatever it is).

Stopping negative thoughts through thought substitution

Sometimes, all it takes to change is to start thinking positive! Our minds are, after all, incapable of hosting bad thoughts and positive ones at the same time. People in this situation are advised to monitor their thinking. Once they notice negative thoughts taking root, they are advised to replace them with positive ones. This is not about repressing their thoughts – which would only make them more persistent. Rather, it is about noting them, accepting them, but then replacing them with positive ones. And it goes a long way, especially for those who do it consistently. Sometimes, this actually turns out to be the only ‘antidote’

Stopping negative thoughts by keeping busy

We have been told time and again that an idle mind is the devil’s workshop. By default, our minds seem to be more attractive to a negative thinking pattern. Thinking positive thoughts takes some energy, but thinking negative doesn’t require any self-exertion. Thus, negative thoughts are the ones that take root whenever our minds are idle. Sometimes, in order to stop attracting the bad thoughts, one only needs to be busy with something that truly occupies the mind.

Indeed, many of the people who pose the question we are trying to answer here (the question being ‘how do I stop negative thoughts’) turn out to be people with a lot of time on their hands. They may not readily notice the relationship between their idleness and their negative thinking. But once they get themselves mentally busy, the bad thoughts flee. Just like that.

Stopping negative thoughts through forgiveness and ‘understanding’

Some of the thoughts people struggle with turn out to be thoughts of resentment. This may be self-resentment or resentment of those who are not living to one’s expectations. And the key to eradication of such negative thoughts is normally to be found in forgiveness.

This may be self-forgiveness or forgiveness of others who aren’t behaving in line with one’s expectations. An even better solution here is the cultivation of ‘understanding’ when dealing with you or with others. Properly done, this leads to a situation where one readily forgives things that could cause resentment (and the resultant negative thoughts) in ‘real-time.’