Managing our negativity must be a part of our daily routine, otherwise, we tend to slip right back into the pattern of negative thinking. Unfortunately, we live in a world inundated with negativity, but we have the power to choose our experience here on Earth. We have the ultimate power within us to choose which thoughts we will pay the most attention to, even when the negative thoughts seem overwhelming. ALL of us possess the ability to focus on the positive instead of the negative, but life can often get in the way and bring us down.
“Beliefs have the power to create and the power to destroy. Human beings have the awesome ability to take any experience of their lives and create a meaning that disempowers them or one that can literally save their lives.” – Tony Robbins
So, we have come to the rescue and brought you a list of simple tricks that you can use in your daily life to help you feel positive again!
Here are 5 ways to manage your negativity and bring positive energy into your life:
1. Practice positive affirmations
For one week, pay close attention to your thoughts. Are they mostly positive or negative? If you chose the latter, you need to do some reprogramming to make sure that your thoughts stay on the positive side most of the time. Don’t worry, this isn’t as difficult as it sounds; it just takes some dedication and practice! You can say things like “I love myself” or “I’m attracting love, abundance, and prosperity into my life” whenever you find yourself slipping into negative thinking patterns. Like we said, it does take practice and willpower to get it to work, but it all comes down to slowing down and paying attention to your thoughts. Becoming an observer of your mind rather than just letting it run on autopilot will ensure that your thoughts stay in an either neutral or positive place.
Plus, evidence shows that positive affirmations can help boost feelings of self-worth and help the brain respond more constructively to threats. All the more reason to give this technique a shot!
2. Do something to take your mind off your thoughts
We all know that when we have too much idle time, our minds can easily run on overdrive and make us go crazy. With that said, it’s important to have activities in your life that make you feel good so you don’t sit and ruminate too much, because that would make anyone feel crappy. If you find that your mind can’t stay quiet, maybe you just need a distraction. Get outside in the fresh air and go for a run, meet up with a friend for coffee, or maybe start on a project you’ve put on the back burner. Our mind can only control us if we allow it to, and sometimes, you just need to show it who’s boss!
3. Take time for self-care
This fast-paced world we live in doesn’t emphasize taking care of and honoring ourselves much, but good thing you don’t need the world’s approval! When you get home from work, instead of plopping down on the couch and zoning out, maybe go for a walk in your neighborhood with a friend or take a hot, relaxing bath. Remember, taking care of yourself isn’t selfish; it’s survival! We all need some R&R from time to time, so don’t hesitate to indulge and disconnect from this crazy world for a little while. Relaxation can do wonders for a wandering mind, because as you slow down, so will your thoughts. So take time for mindful meditation, a yoga session, or a long bubble bath to release your stress.
4. Remember that thoughts are fleeting
Say this to yourself repeatedly: “My thoughts don’t define me.” Where do thoughts come from, anyway? What purpose do they have? We might never know the answers to these questions, but we don’t have to. Simply remembering that your thoughts come and go like the seasons can help you relax a little and not put so much emphasis on them. In just a few seconds, your mind will wander to something else, so find some peace in this fact of life. A negative thought only becomes harmful when you pay too much attention to it and allow it to define you. You’ll learn to take away a lesson from every bad situation, and learn how to avoid it in the future.
5. Pay more attention to the outside world
A lot of us live in our heads so much that we completely miss the beauty all around us. Next time you go outside, look up from your phone for a second. What do you see? Notice the wind blowing through the trees, the squirrels chasing one another, the blue sky that seems to go on forever…we live in a beautiful world, and oftentimes, we forget the miracle of just being alive! We allow our daily worries to take over to the point that we have no room left for anything else.
Get out of your head for a second, and just take time to observe your world. Say hi to your neighbors, breathe in some fresh air, and say thanks for another day of living on this beautiful planet.
