There are a lot of self-help gurus who swear that repeating positive phrases to yourself can change your life. And, if you’ve tried using positive affirmations, you know it can be a difficult habit to maintain.
You can spend 5 to 20 minutes a day telling yourself you’re successful, but what about the other 23+ hours? Chances are that your mind drifts back to old, repetitive negative thoughts that are not so easy to forget. In fact, shifting your focus to positive thoughts is much easier said than done. But, there are six things I do to help overcome my negative thoughts that you can also try:
1. Meditate or do yoga
When you feel negative thoughts starting to take a toll on your life, head to a yoga class. It can help you take your focus away from your thoughts and bring your attention to your breath. Yoga is also very relaxing, which can help ease your mind. It can help you stay present to your experience instead of thinking of what can happen. It helps you live in the now —the only moment, the most important moment.
2. Smile
When you find yourself drifting into negativity, it helps to bring yourself in front of a mirror and force yourself to smile. This action can really help change your mood and relieve stress. And, guess what? It takes fewer muscles to smile than to frown.
3. Surround yourself with positive people
People have a huge impact on your life. In fact, you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with. So, call a friend who you know will give you constructive yet loving feedback. You have to speak to someone who can put things into perspective and not feed your negative thinking.
4. Help someone
Try to take the focus away from you and rather do something nice for someone else. When you help someone else, especially those in need, it helps you appreciate what you have and you focus less on the negative things.
5. All yourself to move forward
Even if your situation becomes unbearable, you have to remember that there is always a way out. It’s easy to dwell on your mistakes and regret a bad decision you made. However, what you need to do is learn from that mistake and move forward.
6. Sing
Science has proven that singing helps to fight depression and boosts your mood. When you sing, you show your feelings and this provides an amazing stress relief. The more you sing, the happier you’ll be. Furthermore, it’s a great de-stressing activity, plus it’s a whole lot of fun!
There are a surprising number of benefits offered by positive thinking – from extending your lifespan and increasing resilience to fighting stress and preventing hypertension. So, try these few tips and if you have any others, please share with us.
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I agree with everything the above – sing is my favourite.
I play guitar so singing really helps me