Counseling Tips For How To Stop Negative Thinking
Learning how to let go of negativity isn’t easy. Our first instinct as humans is to keep risks of survival at the forefront of our minds. This keeps our body and brain prepared for danger. When you can’t find the positive in anything, or your thoughts are self-destructive and all-consuming, it is time to seek professional individual counseling in Orlando. These negative ways of thinking destroying happiness in your life quickly become habitual. When this starts happening you begin to react negatively without thinking. This then leads to self-destructive behaviors that can prevent healthy relationships from forming, inhibit your ability to succeed in professional settings, and diminish your sense of self-worth.
The ways to overcome negative thinking habits are not easy to tackle alone. This is why partnering with a professional provides the quickest tools to stop self-defeating internal dialogue. You can try these tips for how to stop negative self-talk but if you are still struggling, reach out for help with negative thinking.
Practice Mindfulness Habits
Mindfulness is not the same as meditation. Mindfulness means that you become more aware of your present surroundings, and less focused on the past or future. When you are stuck thinking in “what if’s,” “I wish I had’s,” “Coulda,” “Shoulda,” or “Would’s,” it’s time to regroup in the here and now. Ruminating thoughts can be all-consuming and often have a theme that points to past or future instances. Be mindful that the only time you can control is the exact moment you are in and the choices you are making at that moment.
Maintaining Good Self-care
Taking care of yourself is quite different than pressuring yourself to be a certain way. Attending to your personal hygiene daily, wearing clean clothes, making your bed, or cleaning your workspace daily, are all examples of self-care. These are simple areas in your life where you can begin to honor yourself and be kind to yourself. Plan your schedule in advance and book “me time”, carve out time to sleep in, indulge in quiet time, or enjoy nature. Daily self-care allows you to put your needs first and act as a positive reminder.
Stop Comparing Yourself
Comparison is a killer of good self-esteem. When you are unable to view yourself with objectivity then you begin to believe that you are not enough. Any of your positive attributes or successes will be minimized because of the way you will think you need to be instead of how you are. This is probably the hardest skill to master because of how flooded society is with social media. Developing a practice of viewing yourself with neutral objectivity is something that can bring incredible value to your sense of worth.
Begin A Thought Journal
Journaling is not just for people in therapy or to memorialize your deepest thoughts or dreams. Journals act as a tool to give you the space to create self-awareness. You have the power to develop self-awareness with thought journaling. You can start a log on what triggers negative thinking when it happens the most, and where it comes from or what it reminds you of. These clues give you the ability to see that negative thinking originates from somewhere, often external, and has become a habit to you. With this knowledge, you can start contradicting with positive reframe statements as a daily practice.
There are many other ways that you can learn how to develop positive thinking skills and overcome negative thinking. You don’t need to struggle with negative thinking forever or continue having issues feeling inferior to others. Talking to an expert counselor who specializes in individual counseling in Orlando will help you get your thinking habits on a more positive track. Call or email us today to find out more about how the counselors in Orlando atOrlando Thrive Therapy can help you.
