“Be a force of love as often as you can and turn away negative thoughts whenever you feel them surface.” ~Wayne Dyer

Getting into a negative mindset is far too easy, which invariably leads to unhappiness and depression. To avoid being overwhelmed by negativity we need to make a conscious effort to avoid the experience. When life seems like a perpetual dark tunnel, these are some suggestions to change your outlook on life. They will help you to develop a more positive outlook by motivating you to get rid of that negative mindset.

No matter how positive or in control of your life you think you are, a negative mindset can set in almost unconsciously. This happens because our minds default setting is fight or flight, which breeds negative thinking. The mind automatically goes into worse case scenarios by default. When we become conscious of our thinking patterns, we become aware of our thoughts, we also become mindful of the way we think. Hence, getting out of the negative mindset is supposed to be a conscious choice we have to impress on our mind, constantly! That constant monitoring of our thoughts will allow us to recognize when a negative thought pattern is emerging. Becomes far easier to handle them once we recognize them.

Here is a breakdown of the characteristics of negative thoughts:

1. They are Automatic, which means — They simply pop into your head without any effort on your part
2. They are Distorted, which means — They do not fit normalcy or are just wrong
3. They are extremely Unhelpful, which means — They affect the way you feel and behave. They make it difficult to change and stop you from getting what you want out of life
4. They are Believable, which means — You think of them as truth and it does not occur to you to question their believability
5. They are Intrusive, which means — You do not choose to have them, they can be very disturbing and they can be very difficult to switch off

2} Lets NOT Cherish Destructive Thoughts

“Drag your thoughts away from your troubles… by the ears, by the heels, or any other way you can manage it.” ~ Mark Twain

Often we don’t realize how much we subconsciously cherish negative thoughts. It may seem counter intuitive, but often a negative frame of mind occurs because we won’t let go of the negative thoughts and ideas. Sometimes the mind clings on to these thoughts with a feeling of self pity or injured pride. We don’t like the negative frame of mind, but at the same time are we consciously trying to overcome it? The problem is that if the negative thoughts go round and round in our mind they can become powerful and we lose a sense of perspective. Just make a conscious decision to ignore the negative flow of thoughts and sentiments and be persistent in these attempts.

3} Ask Yourself: Do I want to be Happy or Miserable?

“Most folks are as happy as they make up their minds to be.” ~ Abraham Lincoln

We firmly need to know and understand that a negative mindset is a choice you make. If we feel a victim to our own emotions and thoughts, nobody else will be able to help us. We should feel that by holding on to a negative frame of mind, we are inevitably choosing to be unhappy; each negative is a conscious decision to be miserable. If we really value the importance of our own inner peace and happiness, we will aspire to cultivate this through good, uplifting thoughts. Next time you feel the onset of a depressed state of mind, just ask yourself the question: Do I want to be happy or Miserable?

4} Surround Yourself With Positive People

“Surround yourself with only people who are going to lift you higher.” ~ Oprah Winfrey

Usually the best antidote to negativity is simply to spend time with positive happy people doing positive, uplifting activities. Sometimes if we analyze and examine our own negativity it does nothing to reduce it. By engaging in useful fun activities with positive and happy people, we forget about the reasons for our negativity; this is often the most powerful way to overcome a depressed state of mind. Positive Happy people often melt away all the negativity around them.

5} Don’t Accept Negativity from Other People

“There is little difference in people, but that little difference makes a big difference. The little difference is attitude. The big difference is whether it is positive or negative.” ~ W. Clement Stone

There are no shortage of pessimists, critics and doomongers in the world we live in. There will always be people who can find the negative in life; but, there is no reason why we have to ascribe to their world view. For example, often in an office environment there is a negative attitude to the workplace, but, even if there are faults and limitations we don’t have to allow them to make us a negative person. right?

6} Let Go of Thoughts

“The highest possible stage in moral culture is when we recognize that we ought to control our thoughts.” ~ Charles Darwin

If you can learn to control your thoughts, you can control the experience and emotions of life. The best antidote to negativity is learning the art of meditation. Meditation is more than just relaxation; it is a change in consciousness. We move from the limited perspective of our mind and discover an inner source of happiness. Making your mind quite is meditation enough. Just a few minutes of a quite mind can help tremendously in letting go of negative thoughts.

7} Live From the Heart

“Live your life from your heart. Share from your heart. And your story will touch and heal people’s souls.”~ Melody Beattie

The nature of the mind is to be suspicious and critical. If someone does 99 good things and 1 bad thing, the mind will invariably remember the bad thing. If we allow ourselves to be drawn into highlighting the mistakes of others we will invite a negative mindset. However, if we live from the heart we are not drawn to the faults of others (even if they are insignificant). It is in the heart that we can have a true sense of oneness with others, their faults seem insignificant and we can feel a sense of identity with the achievements of others.

8} Don’t Sit Around Doing Nothing

“The harder I work, the luckier I get.” — Samuel Goldwyn

The worst thing for a negative frame of mind is to mope around feeling sorry for ourselves. Ruminating on our bad luck / worries / fears will not diminish them in any way. Exercise can be a powerful way to bring about a new consciousness. Negativity is often associated with boredom and lack of purpose. Stop endlessly checking emails and social media, look for something good to do. Put all that knowledge you have to good use.

9} Make Yourself Think of 3 Positive Thoughts

“You’ve done it before and you can do it now. See the positive possibilities. Redirect the substantial energy of your frustration and turn it into positive, effective, unstoppable determination.”~ Ralph Marston

If you are feeling really miserable and have a low sense of self esteem, try thinking of 3 good things that you have done. At a low time our own mind can be our worst enemy and very self critical. It is important not to lose a sense of balance; for the various bad things we have done, we have also done some good things. Remember them in your minds eye and feel the happiness in your heart.

10} Don’t Think of Anything You Wouldn’t Say in Front of People

We often think things we would never say in front of people. If you are annoyed, disappointed with someone else, imagine what you would say to them in person. Sometimes when we are with people we are forced to behave; even if we are not particularly sincere the effort to avoid negativity can help us to overcome our bad mood. When you think positive, you feel positive. When you think negative you feel negative. Make a choice to think only positive thoughts, and even if negative thoughts find their way in, shoo them off by filling your heart and mind with positive thoughts and feelings.

In Conclusion

With all the above suggestions I hope you can develop a positive outlook on life and permanently get rid of that pesky negative mindset. The decision to live a full and happy life begins with a shift in mindset and that IS in YOUR control.

💭❓Did the above ways to get rid of a negative minset resonate with you? So you have any special ways you use to beat negative thoughts? Share your wisdom in the comments. I would love to read what do you think?

💗With all my love,

💗Zeenat Merchant Syal is a Practicing Counseling Psychologist & Spiritual Counselor. She writes on Healing the Mind, Heart & Soul on Positive Provocations & offers Online Counseling there too.💗