Negative thinking is a pandemic among individuals of all ages. The wrong attitude can easily sway a person's mood from great to sour in a matter of seconds. Why do these negative thoughts have such a strong impact on our moods and outlooks? Our internal dialogue impacts the way we perceive our surroundings, and if our outlook is negative, then our moods will reflect those emotions. So how do we begin the journey towards having a more positive mindset? Here's a comprehensive list of things that you can do in order to retrain your mind to appreciate the little things.
1. Attempt to stop overthinking.
Overthinking and pondering on a topic that makes you slightly uncomfortable is one of the key things that perpetuates negative thinking. Just relax and attempt to focus on life in that given moment and recognize that there is only so much you have control over. Try to look at a situation through someone else's eyes and add some distance between you and the situation at hand. Sometimes being too close to a problem clouds your vision.
2. Watch your vocabulary.
You may not think that the words you think or say can affect the way you think, but hyperbolic words and phrases like "I'm freaking out" or "Kill me now" regarding the small stuff in life put a damper on your day-to-day thought processes. The things to "freak out" about in life are big, like sickness or the loss of a family member, not simply a small bump in the day that should only affect you for a few moments.
3. Process your emotions prior to reacting.
Although it's hard sometimes, try rationally thinking through whatever emotion you are feeling before you grant it a response. Ask yourself, "Will voicing this emotion help the situation? Is there even anything to react over? Am I simply thinking about something minuscule and making it into something larger?" If you answer no to any of these questions, try and take a step back from the situation and ground yourself by focusing on something in your surroundings, meditating or simply taking a few deep breaths.
4. If something is truly bothering you, voice it.
Sometimes, regardless of if a situation is silly or not, you have to talk through an issue with the person you are interacting with. When addressing the situation, try to speak calmly and comprehensively. A lot of times if what is bothering you does not make sense to the other person, they will wind up confused. Trying to get someone to understand the way you are processing the situation is often difficult, so try simply saying "I need a moment," and take a moment to yourself to collect your thoughts.
5. Acknowledge what is going right.
Look on the bright side of life! Gaze around you and look at all you have going for you; whether it be your health, your family, a relationship, schooling or even just something small that brought you joy that day. If you focus on the things that are going right, it's harder to let the things that may not run as smoothly get to you. Don't dwell on the fact that it's raining, think about the rainbow that may appear after the storm.
6. It is perfectly OK to have a bad day.
Just don't let your negative thoughts control your days. Everyone has a bad day every now and then, but a bad day doesn't equal a bad life; embrace the little things and do not write off a day simply because one icky thing happen. You can always improve your mood by doing something you enjoy, distracting yourself or doing something to remedy the issue at hand. No one is expected to be happy 100 percent of the time. You're allowed to feel negative emotions when they come. Just don't hang on to them and let them define you.
At the end of the day, attempting to control your negative thinking stems from rewiring the way you think about things. Think with purposeful intent and pause prior to allowing a tsunami of emotions swallow you whole. If the people around you are contributing to your negative thinking, be open with them and ask them to help you catch yourself when you're dwelling while also letting them know that you are honestly trying to change your mindset. Embrace good vibes and good friends -- they can make a world of difference.
