“Men think that you must halt before the barrier of inner negativity. You need not. You can crash through… whatever we see a negative state, that is where we can destroy it.” ~Luc de Clapiers, Marquis De Vauvenargues
It’s easy to become entrapped by a cycle of negativity. Negative thoughts and energy, just like positive thoughts and energy, are literally contagious and propagate themselves.
But any cycle of negativity can be transformed into a positive one by making the choice to do so and then intently focusing on it.
Oftentimes, the key to breaking any cycle of negativity is to shift your state of mind and alter your current perspective. Alternatively, and when in doubt, tell yourself to return to what is simple — spending time in nature, speaking with friends — and what’s positive — laughing and smiling.
-
1. Return to Nature
To break a cycle of negativity, return to nature. Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote,
In the woods, we return to reason and faith. There I feel that nothing can befall me in life, which nature cannot repair.”
Escape the chaos and commotion of your daily life and take some time to immerse yourself in nature. Feel the crunch of each step on a hike in the woods. Listen to the waves crashing over the shore and the sound of the wind passing through the trees. Embrace the simplicity and beauty of nature. Return to a purer, less cluttered, simpler sense of self.
-
2. Focus on the Moment
Too often, we become entrapped by negative thoughts and the endless stream of “what if” playing in our heads. The endless cycle of negativity compels us to feel like we need to escape our own minds. A simple remedy to abandon a cycle of obsessive thinking and over-thinking is to focus on the small stuff.
Boil down your attention and focus. Take your attention off of thinking and feel your other senses: touch, smell, taste, hearing and so on. Focus on the touch of grass, the smell of the air, the feeling of your heartbeat. Intently breathe in and out with each breath.
-
3. Take “the Long View”
When the present moment is burdened with unbearable pain and discontent, shift your perspective away from the “right now” and onto the big picture.
Focus on the long view: Envision the multitude of benefit that will ultimately become of you from this bout of growth that we did not wish upon ourselves, but has chosen you. Remember how time helps heal all wounds.
-
4. Examine the Thinker
A unique concept that I first learned about from New Age author Eckhart Tolle is the practice of observing “the thinker.” Here’s how you can do it:
- Envision yourself as having a higher consciousness that resides outside of the confines of your own head: above and beyond your mind, where your thought processes occur.
- Literally imagine the workings of your mind and brain and thoughts as, although a part of you, a separate entity that can be observed — not an inseparable component of who you are.
Examining the thinker is to imagine your mind as a part of you — not who “you” are — like your hands, which you can look down upon and watch, although you are attached to them and control their movements.
What is “the thinker” thinking, and why? Is the bout of negativity silly, superfluous, unnecessary, simply catering to your own sense of ego? Providing you with some woe-is-me sense of purpose? What is the root of the negativity that “the thinker” is harping upon?
-
5. Surround Yourself with the People You Love
Seek out the ones you love and who love you. Surround yourself with them. Feel gratitude and contentment that they are in your lives.
Appreciate the relationships and friendships that you share with these other beings. Consider the simple miracle that is their very existence: that, out of the millions and millions of possible genetic combinations, defying the odds of luck and chance, they have come to be born and are now a part of your life. Intently enjoy their company.
-
6. Laugh (Never Stop Laughing)
Happiness, laughter, and smiles are beautiful.
They connect human begins on a level greater than we often fully appreciate. Laughter, happiness and smiling are common denominators among all human beings: we all naturally recognize, appreciate and connect through smiles and laughter. These acts of radiating positive energy bind us. They transcend human beings’ skin-deep differences, weave between us and intertwine us.
To break a bout of negativity, just laugh. Never, ever stop laughing.
[fblike]
Hi Dave,
Thanks for writing these useful tips. This article is what I need at this moment! And I read your another article and it is quite helpful too (Trapped in Your Head? How to Escape Your Mind) and this comment can be applied to both this and that article.
These past few days I have been terribly suffering from irrational negative thought patterns and I was fully trapped in negative emotions! It was absolute hell!
I took few measures to control my negative thoughts and emotions. Some worked for a while and others helped me very well and helped me return normal again! I tried some of your tips too and it proved to help. I will include things I did that really helped me to get rid of my negative thought patterns:
1. Exercise - I did rigorous exercise until my body ached and it really altered my state of mind - from negative to strong positive self! I did exercise whenever I felt negative! I constantly did it until I felt normal and positive! It gave me hope and confident that I can get rid of my negative thoughts and emotions completely! So I was happy that I can become positive! But before I start to exercise I completely believed that exercise would help me with this and that I am going to be positive once again! Nevertheless, exercise helps I guess!
2. Completely surrendering myself to God - At one point I couldn't handle my negative thoughts and it's accompanied emotions so I said enough is enough and I have completely surrendered myself to God. This helped me for a while but it is still helpful when you feel completely helpless.
3. Going outdoors - Going outdoors provided distraction to me and helped me for a while. Feeling fresh air in the face was amazing at that time and was therapeutic!
4. Saying positive and encouraging things to myself strongly, with all my might like sports players. Like, I am/will be positive, I will feel normal and likewise, all inner issues...
5. Eating stomach full - It made me dull and lazy for a while so I didn't think anything. (lol)
6. And of course Laughing and letting myself loose with my brother. When I let myself loose, I had sense of humor for a while and my bro said me to view my negative thoughts in a humor sense and so we both laughed at it and it helped me view my negative thoughts and emotions in laughable manner! So sense of humor at the time of negativity helps I guess!!
7. And finally, having strong hope and reading positive, wise and moral stories and being open to self-improvement helped me to change me into positive self! Also, I made commitment to read some kind of positive and thought provoking wise moral stories every day to completely change myself into a positive self! So this habit will guide me to be in positive zone everyday without getting lost in negative patterns!!!
Thanks for reading my long comment!
Keep going with your wonderful blog! :)
- spam
- offensive
- disagree
- off topic
Like