6 Ways To Stop Thinking Negative Thoughts

Have you ever stopped to consider how thinking negative thoughts affects your reality?

It's easy to get lost in a cycle of thinking negative thoughts pertaining to the past or future. However, in doing so we rob ourselves of the opportunity to be happy in the present! Seconds, minutes and hours can pass us by as we continue to get caught up in a cycle of negative thinking - further embedding the seed cause in our consciousness in the process.

But how do you go about breaking free of these negative thought patterns?

There are many techniques that can help you detach yourself from negative thoughts but, it all starts with being more mindful of your thought processes, becoming the observer rather than the thinker. Consider the following tips to help you do just that..

#1 Cultivate The Art Of Mindfulness

Learning how to stop thinking negative thoughts starts with learning to cultivate mindfulness. Why? Because if you aren't mindful of your thoughts, then you are simply allowing them to roam free and distract you from what's going on NOW. By being more mindful you are more present which means you are living in the moment and not distracted by past, future, or 'circumstantial' situations. Become the observer of your thoughts, question them, and you'll soon come to realize that you control your thoughts - not the other way around.

#2 Make Meditation a Daily Ritual

Meditating is an effective tool for gaining control over your thoughts. Through daily meditation you'll learn to shut out that nagging voice in the head and instead focus on being more mindful and in tune with your consciousness. A basic mindfulness meditation is perfect for mastering your thought processes as you'll train the mind to acknowledge thoughts without allowing them distract you from being present, focused and most importantly - POSITIVE.

#3 Empower Yourself With Positivity

Have you ever stopped to consider how external sources affect your own state of consciousness?

Negative programming is detrimental to your own thought processes. Aim to surround yourself with positive people who make you feel good and raise your vibration, but more importantly, you need to be mindful of external sources of information. Switch off the news and other negative media and empower yourself with feedback and solicitations that are positive in nature such as watching motivational seminars, reading positive quotes.

#4 STOP "Labeling" Yourself

If you're constantly ridiculing yourself with negative thoughts such as "life is so unfair, why does my life suck" then you are negatively programming your belief system. The problem is that this can become a vicious cycle in which you lower your self-worth, opening doors for more negative thoughts to surface. Again, use mindfulness to alert yourself to these thought processes and refrain from labeling yourself. When self-destructive thoughts do surface use affirmations to correct them.

#5 Challenge Your Thoughts

Oftentimes, your thoughts are future tense meaning they carry little significance in terms of truth, they are hypothetical. So when negative thoughts do surface, challenge them. Ask yourself "Is there any significance or truth behind what I'm thinking?" You will soon realize that your negative thoughts are a manifestation of your imagination. Also, by questioning your thoughts you are training the mind to habitually stop thinking negative thoughts through mindfulness.

#6 Learn From Past Mistakes

The past is the past and there's nothing you can do to change it. We all make mistakes and have regrets that creep up on us from time-to-time but using the past against yourself resolves nothing. Each mistake presents an opportunity to learn and grow as a person. So instead of getting bogged down and focusing all your mental energy on past situations learn to accept past mistakes as a learning curve and leave them where they belong - in the past.

The Bottom Line

Consciousness shifts with every new experience that comes into its awareness. You can nurture your consciousness for better or worse, and it all starts with your thoughts. Manifest positive results by taking charge of your inner-dialogue, developing mindfulness, and actively weed out negative thoughts.