How to Overcome a Negative Mindset

Many people have a negative mindset. Negative mindsets come in different forms. For some people, they are just pessimistic about everything in life. For others, they are only negative when it comes to themselves and their own abilities.

Either way, when you have a negative mindset you cannot enjoy life the way you should and you may even find that it is hard to maintain personal and work relationships.

Luckily, you can overcome a negative mindset and start enjoying the life that you were meant to have. It is a matter of recognizing the harmful thought patterns, figuring out what created them and then turning them off, replacing them with healthier patterns.

Where Do Negative Thought Patterns Come From?

Often our negative thought patterns were instilled in us as children and many times this was an unconscious thing. We pick up worry over money from listening to our parents fret and fight. As time goes on, this worry about money wears a groove in our psyche and it becomes a familiar pattern. When we think about money, we automatically begin to worry and see everything that could possibly go wrong.

Don’t Go There!

It’s easier said than done, but don’t allow yourself to get negative. As soon as you start to think negative thoughts, you need to stop them in their tracks.

Unfortunately, much of our inner dialogue is subconscious so we are being negative without even knowing it. We set ourselves up for negative thinking early on in life, in many cases, so that the negative dialogue is always there.

This being said, how can we not go there?

You need to start with those situations in which you know you are being negative and stop the thoughts in their tracks.

Take the Power Away From the Negativity

When you hear the negative thoughts spinning around and around in your head it’s time to take action. While many of our negative thoughts happen without us even knowing it, we are aware of some of these thoughts. As soon as you have a negative thought, stop the process. Take the power away from the negative thoughts and replace them with positive ones.

For instance, if you are thinking “I cannot do this!” tell yourself, “I can do this if I try.” When you replace the negative thought with a positive one and you allow it to run through your head instead of the negative thought, you will feel as though a 5,000 pound weight has been lifted from your shoulders. The key is to be consistent in replacing the negative thoughts with the positive ones.

Make a Choice

Whether you realize it or not, having a negative mindset really is a choice. That is difficult for many people to hear, but it’s the truth. Many people spend their whole lives feeling imprisoned by negative thoughts and their emotions. The bottom line is that you need to make a choice whether you want to be happy or whether you want to continue to be miserable.

Decide right now if you want to be happy or not. If you decide that you really want to be happy, you can go forward knowing that happiness really is your goal. When you aren’t truly dedicated to being happy replacing the negative mindset with a positive one will be nearly impossible.

Replace Negative People with Positive People

If you are stuck in a negative mindset, chances are you are surrounded by like minded people. The old adage that misery loves company is true, so when you are in a negative head space you are going to attract or being attracted to people who are also negative. When you surround yourself by negative people and situations you will have a much more difficult time changing your life.

Do away with negative people and situations. Cut negative people out of your life and if there are situations that contribute to your negative mindset such as relationships or working environments, work to change them or find your way out of the situation as soon as possible.

Don’t Take Criticism to Heart

Many people fall into a negative mindset if they are criticized in any way. Whether you are criticized by someone you love or by a co-worker you need to work not to take it to heart. Instead, work to find the positives in what you have been told.

Instead of looking at the criticism as a character assassination, look at the criticism and consider whether or not making a change will make you a better person, mate, or coworker. The bottom line is not to take criticism to heart, instead you can consider it, make changes if you deem it necessary, and then move on knowing you are better for it.

Consider Meditation

When you feel overwhelmed by negativity and a swirl of negative thoughts and emotions, you might want to consider meditation. Many people find that mediation helps them let go of those non-stop emotions that contribute to their negative emotions. There are many therapists as well as self help books and videos that will help you learn how to mediate if you are not already familiar with it.

Positive Affirmations

Many people find that positive affirmations work wonders when they are trying to improve their negative mindset. Positive affirmations are statements that help you change your perspective of the world and those around you. For instance, you can tell yourself every morning, “I am worthy of a happy, healthy, positive life.”

If you tell yourself this several times a day you will start to believe it. Just as you trained yourself to think the worst of yourself and the world around you, you can train yourself to see and feel the best of everything around you.

Fake it Until You Make It

If all else fails or you just want to feel better right now, you need to employ the fake it until you make it strategy. If you put a smile on your face and you force yourself to look and feel happy, you will!

Many times just putting a smile on your face will help you begin to see the world in a more positive light. While you may not feel 100% positive, faking it will take you a long way. When you are faking it you will elicit positive behaviors all around you because people are drawn to you, which will only help in strengthening your positive spirit.

Making a Permanent Change

If you are struggling with a negative mindset you can overcome it. When you feel yourself beginning to come out of that dark hole you need to keep up with the positive thoughts. If you don’t force yourself to employ positive thoughts every day you may find that you slowly slip back into a negative mindset. If you continue to think positive thoughts and stay in the company of positive people, you will find that it is much easier to look at the world in a much healthier light.

Originally posted 2013-02-04 06:11:11.