What are the best ways to stop negative thoughts? Our guide gives you 5 proven strategies to get out of the negative thinking spiral and back on track!
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Who does not know it, the negative spiral of thought that includes one (or all!) Of the following examples: ‘I’m not good enough’, ‘Others can do it much better’, ‘I can never do it …’, or ‘Yes it is clear that it always happens to me ‘.
A study by the National Science Foundation showed that we have between 12,000 and 60,000 thoughts a day. In addition, 80% of these thoughts are usually negative and 95% repeat themselves. That doesn’t sound rosy, but it also shows that it is absolutely natural to have negative thoughts.
We often have expectations of ourselves that we should always think positive and should not have a single negative thought. Otherwise it could prove to be true! Fortunately, we’re not that influential either. Not every negative thought becomes a reality, and we can save ourselves a lot of unnecessary stress if we recognize that it is OK to have negative thoughts.
Negative thoughts are not facts
The main thing is that we recognize these negative thoughts and do not identify with them. And this is really the crux of the matter. Because often, when we think ‘I’m not good enough’, we identify with this thought and quickly find ourselves in a negative spiral of thought.
In order to free yourself from this negative spiral of thought, it is important to acknowledge that our negative thoughts are not facts. Just because I think ‘I’m not good enough’ doesn’t mean that I’m really not good enough. Rather, these are limiting beliefs that we have often carried around with us since childhood.
We are not born with these limiting beliefs as a baby. Rather, we adopt them through the exchange with our social environment and take them in our subconscious so that we no longer question them.
5 tips to stop negative thoughts
Fortunately, there are some tips and mental tricks to let go of the negative thoughts. I have collected the five most effective ones for you here:
# 1 Do a thought check
It is important to be aware of your thoughts first. It helps to carry out a regular thought check. For example, every time you go to the kitchen or brush your teeth, you ask yourself: What is actually going on in my head?
# 2 Write down thoughts
It is also very helpful to put all your fears and worries on paper without thinking too much. For this you can set a timer to five minutes and simply write wildly during this time. It is very likely that you will feel lighter after this short exercise.
# 3 Name thoughts
In order not to identify constantly with your thoughts, but to look at them from a distance, it helps to name the thoughts. For example, a thought like ‘I’m not smart / nice / good enough’ becomes ‘I have the idea that I’m not smart / nice / good enough’. This small but nice difference helps to take a new perspective on his thoughts.
# 4 Question thoughts
You don’t have to take everything you think at face value. Instead, you can ask yourself what is the evidence for this negative thought. Where does this thought come from? Is this true at all? Which behavioral patterns keep this thought alive?
# 5 Build confidence
Constantly being dominated by negative thoughts can also cause self-esteem to sink into the basement. It is therefore important to consider counter-arguments for your negative thoughts. For example, ‘I will surely fail’ becomes’ Which situations in my life have I successfully mastered? What strengths have I gained through this? ‘
