HOW TO FIGHT NEGATIVE THOUGHTS IN A HEALTHY WAY?

Often in daily life, we confront people who hate their lives, cry over silly things, complain unnecessarily and end up creating a negative aura in their surroundings. This is the power of negativism. In this generation full of tensions and daily hassles, negative thoughts are very common. They keep firing one after another. The extent to which negative thoughts surround an individual describes its effect on the person. Negative thoughts are cognitions characterized by negative perceptions, expectations and attributions. Pessimism is the word used for this mental state.

Lifestyle is the overall pattern of decisions and behaviors that determine a person’s health and quality of life. Negative thoughts can lead to an unhealthy lifestyle and health-damaging behavior.

CAUSES BEHIND HAVING A NEGATIVE MINDSET OR
NEGATIVE THOUGHTS

The causes of negative thoughts vary from individual to individual. Sometimes it is easy to guess the cause while sometimes the person himself or herself is unaware of it.

To list a few, here are some common causes:

1} Poor company: Being a part of a group where people have a negative outlook on everything, affects individual perception also. Even while taking decisions outside the group, that perception will interfere.

2} Lack of self- confidence: Pessimistic people always step back while taking big decisions because of a lack of confidence. They always have a negative view of the outcome.

3} Past experiences: Past decisions gone wrong or unexpected outcomes hurt such people, which prevents them from taking big steps in life. Fear of the result always occupies their minds.

4} Faulty belief system: Such people seldom believe in positive or favorable outcome of anything. This faulty-belief system always creates the worst possible scenarios and threaten the individual.

EFFECTS OF HAVING A NEGATIVE MINDSET OR NEGATIVE THOUGHTS

According to studies, pessimistic people are more prone to get physical and mental health problems. Repetitive and pervasive negative thoughts can be detrimental to mental health.

To list a few, here are some effects seen in pessimistic people:

1} Frustration: Not being able to do something big in life because of extreme negativism is a reason for frustration in these individuals.

2} Anger: On analyzing oneself, a person gets angry or annoyed for why is he or she so negative in life.

3} Hopelessness: A normal person loses hope in difficult situations while a pessimist is always lack of hope, expectation or desire.

4} Poor choices: People with negative approaches take poor decisions often neglecting most of the opportunities.

5}Psychological disorders such as Generalised Anxiety Disorder, Antisocial personality, depression may also be seen in people suffering from extreme pessimism.

SOLUTION TO REDUCE THE FREQUENCY NEGATIVE THOUGHTS

The power of positive thinking is increasingly being recognized these days. Optimism, which is a mental attitude of believing in positive /favorable outcomes of some specific endeavor or in general, has been linked to psychological and physical well being. Motivational speakers, life coaches, counselors, and mental health professionals also speak about the importance of optimism. Inculcation of positivism in life can prove to be of great help to such people.

CAN HAVING A CERTAIN LIFESTYLE REDUCE NEGATIVE THOUGHTS?

Life skills are abilities for adaptive and positive behavior that enable individuals to deal effectively with the demands and challenges of everyday life.

Here are some life skills which can be helpful:

1} Meditation and Yoga: The increasing importance of meditation and yoga in modern society, cannot be ignored. Focusing attention early morning helps an individual in reaching a different state of consciousness. Pleasant and calm feeling in mind invites good positive thoughts.

2} Balanced Diet: A balanced diet is a diet that contains an adequate amount of nutrients required in a day. A balanced diet can give more energy and lift one’s mood. “In a healthy body resides a healthy mind.” So, a balanced diet can also help in overcoming negative thoughts by taking care of the mental health.

3} Exercising: Physical fitness is equally important for a healthy mind. One must exercise daily for physical and mental wellness. Mental wellness is the fundamental solution to beat negative vibes.

4}Self-care: Taking care of yourself in every way possible, pampering body as well as mind by visiting counselors, seminars or reading motivational books is also important. By feeding the body with healthy things, we’ll get positive outcomes in return.

However one cannot become an optimist in a day. So one must take steps, even if they are small and steady.

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