| STOP Negative Thoughts |
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| Ririan | |||
| Wednesday, 18 July 2007 | |||
  “What we focus on, we empower and enlarge. Good multiplies when focused upon. Negativity multiplies when focused upon. The choice is ours: Which do we want more of?” - Julia Cameron Negative thinking can make all sorts of things incredibly difficult. It is like a leak in your confidence bucket - constantly drip-drip-dripping away your confidence and self esteem. We all know that we should think more positively, or avoid too many negative thoughts, but it is notoriously difficult to stop. Negative thinking can be useful to help assess the possible pitfalls in a potential plan of action, but you need to be able to turn it on and off at will. Otherwise, negative thoughts will sabotage your self belief, your confidence and your achievements. Your body reacts chemically to the fear that worrying and negative thinking entails. When you are scared, your body releases adrenalin. This is a result of the ‘flight or fight’ reflex that evolved to help us to overcome or run away from anything that threatened us physically. Adrenalin affects the digestive system, and can make you feel ill. The more you think about those negative things, the worse it gets, and a sudden rush of adrenalin can lead to butterflies in the stomach, a headache, or feeling very sick. Here are some of the destructive effects of negative thinking: Sleeping problems It can become very difficult to get to sleep, because you feel worse at night. There are a number of reasons why. While you’re trying to drop off to sleep, there’s nothing to distract you from the worries that may have been lurking in the background during the day. Sapping your self-confidence The more problems you think you have, the less able you may feel to cope with them, and this can increase your sense of helplessness. This reduces your confidence, making you more vulnerable to your fears. Unhelpful strategies Under this kind of pressure, it may become very difficult for you to concentrate and carry on with everyday life, so that your problems tend to build up. It’s emotionally draining to feel anxious all the time. It may feel as though your whole life is being taken over by it. Negative thoughts are not reserved for just a few people or situations. Everyone is plagued by negative thoughts at one time or another. However, once you begin thinking about what you’re “thinking about”, you’ve already taken the first step to controlling negative thoughts. Research shows that people who receive positive distractions for just eight minutes show a remarkable change in their moods and in breaking the cycle of repetitive thought. So, next time you catch yourself repeating the same negative thoughts over and over in your mind, use the STOP acronym: 1. S - Say the word STOP! Interrupt your internal destructive thoughts. Tell yourself firmly to “STOP” over thinking. Be strict, and don’t let them intrude on your thoughts. It also might be helpful to visualize a box to place all your negative thoughts in, which you may open at a later date or time. 2. T - TAKE a break! Take a deep breath. Then, take a break. Go for a walk or a hike, read a great book, listen to your favorite music. Do something to take your attention away from over thinking, and if possible, change the environment. Also try some relaxation exercises, they often focus on replacing negative thoughts with positive ones. This could involve imagining yourself in a new setting, such as a beach, a designer home or a garden. You could visualize your worries as physical objects that can be discarded, such as stones or rocks you could heave into the distance. Sometimes, doing a relaxation exercise makes people feel quite uncomfortable. You might feel that it’s not working, or that you’re doing it wrong. It’s best to take the attitude that you’re just giving it a go, and that these negative thoughts are normal. Surprisingly, learning to relax takes practice. 3. O - Focus on the OUTCOME! Focus on the OUTCOME of your goals. Affirm why you are committed to your goals. The way we feel and what we experience in our body comes from what we focus our attention upon during a given moment. And at any moment, we are “deleting” most of what is going on around us. That is, to feel bad, we have to delete (not focus on, not think about) everything that’s great in our life. And vice versa. For us to feel good, we have to delete the things we could feel bad about. Read more about the power of focus here. 4. P - PRAISE yourself! PRAISE and acknowledge yourself for the progress you are making. Remember, you’re looking for progress, not perfection! Give yourself a reward every time you’re succesful with overcoming negative thoughts. And remember small changes make a big difference. By recognizing that you do have negative thoughts you’ve taken the first step. Now, start playing Devil’s Advocate and challenge yourself to find the positive. Turn your thoughts around and your moods will follow suit. And remember, You Are What You Think!
Disclaimer: Harmonious Living is written for and read by a community of individuals with strong and independent opinions. While the publishers of Harmonious Living are dedicated to providing a forum in which views can be openly expressed, those views do not necessarily reflect those of the publishers.
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