There are days when we can’t help but have negative thoughts, and although some of us are able to dispel them as quickly as they come, some of us may tend to linger on them more than others. Unfortunately, negative thinking can impair our performance in our day-to-day lives. Those who are undergoing therapy for social anxiety focus on transforming their negative thinking into a more positive tone regardless of the situation.

If you wish to be able to get yourself out of negative thinking, the first thing that you need to do is to know how your thinking process works and the problems that usually arise because of it. Once you become aware of it, you will be able to come up with strategies to help alleviate your dark thoughts.

For those who want to get started in changing their negative thoughts, these steps might be done.

Understanding your way of thinking

There are different styles of thinking, such as “black and white” thinking, where you only think of good or bad. Understanding how your thought process works can help you identify how you deal with negative thoughts and be able to take steps to correct them.

Learn how to accept criticism

Whatever we do, there will always be someone who will criticize us. Although it is easier said than done that we should learn how to cope with rejection or commentaries about your life, practicing defending your self, may help you accept criticisms and rejections better.

Take a shower

There are times when our negative thoughts just take over us to the point that we are no longer able to function well. If this is the case, taking a long hot shower or bath can help ease the stress and tension that you are feeling. The hot temperature helps in soothing your muscles which puts you in a state of relaxation. You can even add a few drops of essential oils in your bath water to support a calmer you.

Start doing something

When negative thoughts start to intrude, we often find our productivity levels to take a hit. Unfortunately, this can be a source of hindrance to our performance, especially when there are times when we simply don’t want to do anything. But this is not really recommended since your brain is not being distracted from the negative thoughts. Keeping yourself busy is one of the best ways to counter your negative thoughts. You can start by spending some time in your garden, reading a book, or even doing your laundry for that matter. Even the simplest action can do you a world of good.

Practice mindfulness

Mindfulness is rooted in meditation as it basically the practice of being able to detach yourself from your own emotions and thoughts and be able to observe them outside yourself. In mindfulness practice, you will be training yourself how to view your thoughts and your actions as a casual observer where you are able to let other thoughts go after observing them from all angles. The goal of mindfulness is to be able to control your emotions to various situations and letting the thinking side of your brain do its work.

It is understandable that we allow negative thinking to take a hold of ourselves, but being aware that you are dwelling in these kinds of thoughts, and be able to get out of them, should be done as much as we can. You see, allowing negativity in our lives is not really healthy. And may put us at risk of emotional problems such as depression and anxiety. By learning how to change our negative thoughts, we are helping ourselves become better too.