Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 4: Change Your Thinking
• Method 2 of 4: Understand How Consciousness Works
• Method 3 of 4: Learn New Things
• Method 4 of 4: Remember the Good
• Tips
• Warnings

Often, negative thoughts and feelings prevent us from enjoying the good things in life. Gradually, we begin to think more and more often about the bad, and immersion in negative thoughts becomes a habit that is difficult to eradicate. In order to overcome this habit (however, like any other), it is necessary to change the way of thinking.

When we worry about something, the last thing we need is for thoughts of bad things to intensify stress, so it is very important to learn how to cope with the endless stream of thoughts. In this article, we will tell you how to rid yourself of unnecessary worries.

Steps

Method 1 of 4: Change Your Thinking

1. 1 Think about today. When you are tormented by anxious thoughts, what do you think about most of the time? You are probably reliving past events (even if it happened a week ago) or thinking about what will happen in the future. In order to stop worrying, you need to remember about the present moment, about today. If you shift your attention from what has already been or will be, to what is happening now, it will become easier for you to stop taking everything too negatively. But, as is often the case, this is not so easy to do. In order to learn to live in the present, you must first learn to concentrate on what is happening to you literally at this very minute.
   • There is one simple technique: look at a soothing image (photo, painting). This will allow your head to rest and let go of all bad thoughts on its own, and this happens only in a natural way - that is, when you do not intentionally try to get rid of thoughts and do not wait until you finally succeed. This is a very simple yet powerful way to calm down and relax.
   • If that doesn't work, try to distract your mind by counting from 100 to 7, or pick a color and look for all of the objects in that color in the room. This will get rid of the chaos in your head, and then you can again focus on the present moment.
2. 2 Do not withdraw into yourself. One of the consequences of focusing on bad thoughts is often the increasing distance between you and the world around you. If you decide to get out of your shell and reestablish connection with the world, you will have less time and energy for bad thoughts. Do not scold yourself for negative thoughts or emotions - this will only make things worse. Perhaps you have often thought that you really disliked someone, and then felt guilty about such thoughts or were angry with yourself because of this. Because of this perception, cause-and-effect relationships and incorrect attitudes are strengthened in the head, from which it becomes extremely difficult to get rid of over time. Below are some simple ways to switch from your inner world to your outer world.
   • Hear what others have to say. If you are participating in a conversation, listen carefully, ask questions, give advice. You need to learn to be a good conversationalist, because when you talk to others, you will not return to your thoughts.
   • Volunteer. So you can meet new people, get carried away with something that will distract you from your problems and worries.
   • Look at yourself from the outside. Think about what is happening to you directly at this moment. What matters is what is now. It is impossible to return to the past or be transported to the future.
   • Say something out loud or silently. Saying words out loud will bring you back to reality. Say: "I am here" - or: "This is really happening." Repeat until you can concentrate on the present moment.
   • Leave the house. The change of scenery will help you return to the present, as your brain will be busy processing incoming external information, which will leave less room for other thoughts. Observe the world around you - after all, it exists only in the present. Pay attention to small details, such as how a sparrow cleans feathers, or how a leaf breaks off a tree and gently sinks to the ground.
3. 3 Develop self-confidence. Self-doubt in all the variety of its manifestations often becomes the main cause of hard thoughts and strong feelings. This feeling constantly haunts you: whatever you do - it is everywhere with you. For example, when talking to a friend, you are constantly worried about how you look, what impression you make, instead of just talking. You need to develop self-confidence, and then it will be easier for you to live a fulfilling life and not torment yourself with destructive thoughts.
   • Try to do something fun on a regular basis - this will make you feel confident in your abilities. For example, if you are good at baking pies, enjoy the whole baking process: knead the dough with pleasure, enjoy the aroma that fills your home.
   • When you are able to develop the ability to live the present moment with joy, remember that feeling and repeat it as often as possible. Remember that the only thing that keeps you from feeling in the present is your perception, so stop harassing yourself with self-criticism.

Method 2 of 4: Understand How Consciousness Works

1. 1 Analyze your attitude towards negative thoughts or feelings. Since bad thoughts often just happen out of habit, they can come as soon as you stop taking care of yourself. Promise yourself not to focus on these thoughts, because you need to learn to not only let them go, but also not to allow new ones to appear.
   • According to research, it takes 21 to 66 days to break a habit. Everything here is individual and depends on the habit.
2. 2 Watch yourself. Determine how your thoughts or feelings manage to control you. Thoughts have two components - the theme (what you think about) and the process (how you think).
   • Consciousness does not always need a topic - in cases of its absence, thoughts simply jump from one to another.Consciousness uses such thoughts in order to protect itself from something, or in order to calm and distract from something else - for example, from physical pain, from fear. In other words, when a defense mechanism is triggered, often consciousness simply tries to cling to something to give you a topic for thoughts.
   • Thoughts that have a specific theme have a very different character. Perhaps you are angry, worried about something, or thinking about a problem. Such thoughts are often repeated and always revolve around the same thing.
   • The difficulty lies in the fact that consciousness cannot be constantly absorbed by a topic or process. In order to rectify the situation, it is worth remembering that thoughts alone cannot help matters. Often we do not want to let go of thoughts and feelings, because we want to better understand the situation: for example, if we are angry, we think about all the circumstances of the situation, all the participants, all actions, and so on.
   • Often our desire to think about something is simple think turns out to be stronger than the desire to let go of thoughts, which greatly complicates the whole situation. The desire to think only for the sake of the "thinking" process can lead to self-destruction, while this struggle with oneself is another way to escape from the situation that initially caused thoughts. It is necessary to overcome the desire to constantly comprehend something and learn to let go of thoughts, and after a while the desire to let go of thoughts in all cases will be stronger than the desire to scroll something in the head without stopping.
   • Another problem is that we are used to thinking of thoughts as part of our personality. A person is not ready to admit that he himself can inflict pain and suffering on himself. There is a generally accepted opinion, according to which it is believed that all feelings concerning oneself are valuable. Some feelings lead to negative experiences, others not. Therefore, it is always necessary to look closely at the thoughts and feelings in order to understand which ones are worth leaving and which ones are worth letting go.
3. 3 Try some experiments.
   • Try your best not to think about a polar bear or anything incredible like a raspberry flamingo with a cup of coffee. This is a rather old experiment, but it reveals the essence of human thinking very well. When we try to refrain from thinking about the bear, we suppress both the very thought of it and the idea that we need to suppress something. If you specifically try not to think about the bear, the thought of it will not go anywhere.
   • Imagine holding a pencil in your hands. Think about the fact that you want to quit it. In order to throw a pencil, you need to hold it. As long as you think about giving it up, you keep it. Logically speaking, the pencil cannot be dropped as long as you hold it. The harder you want to throw, the more force you hold on to it.
4. 4 Stop fighting thoughts by force. When we try to overcome any thoughts or feelings, we try to gather more strength to strike, but because of this, we grab onto these thoughts even more. The more effort, the more stress on the mind, which responds to all these attempts with stress.
   • Instead of trying to forcefully get rid of thoughts, you need to loosen your grip. The pencil can fall out of the hand by itself - in the same way, thoughts can go away on their own. It may take a while: if you tried to forcefully eradicate some thoughts, the mind could remember your attempts, as well as its response.
   • When we go over our thoughts in an attempt to understand them or try to get rid of them, we do not budge, because thoughts simply have nowhere to go. As soon as we stop dwelling on this situation, we let them go.

Method 3 of 4: Learn New Things

1. 1 Learn to cope with thoughts. If a thought or feeling comes back to you over and over again, there are many ways to keep it from engulfing you.
   • There is probably a movie that you have watched many times, or a book that you have re-read.You always know what will happen next, so you are not so interested in watching a movie or reading this book again. Or maybe you've done something so many times that you don't want to do it again because you know how bored you will be. Try to transfer this experience to a situation with thoughts: as soon as you lose interest in thinking about the same thing, the thought will go away on its own.
2. 2 Don't try to run away from negative thoughts and emotions.. Are you tired of the exhausting thoughts that are always with you, but have you really tried to deal with them? Sometimes a person tries to pretend that something is not, instead of accepting it. If you do this with negative thoughts or emotions, they can stay with you forever. Allow yourself to feel what you need to feel, and then let go of unnecessary emotions. If your mind is forcing thoughts and emotions on you, it can make you judge yourself. There are many manipulative mechanisms in our minds, and we are not even aware of many of them. Consciousness manipulates us, as it seeks to control us through dependence on a variety of things and strong desires. By and large, we are driven by our addictions.
   • Remember that your happiness is in your hands, that feelings and emotions should not determine how you manage your life. If you allow your past or future experiences and obsessions to control you, you will never be able to live a fulfilling life.
   • Control your thoughts yourself. Turn them inside out, change them - in the end, you will realize that you have power over thoughts, and not them - over you. Replacing negative thoughts with positive thoughts is a temporary measure, but it can be extremely helpful at the right time. It will be easier for you to let go of thoughts if you feel that you yourself are able to control everything.
   • If your thoughts revolve around a problem that you still have to solve, do your best to come up with ways to get out of the problem situation. Do your best, even if the situation seems completely hopeless.
   • If your thoughts and feelings are related to a sad event (such as the death of a relative or the end of a relationship), allow yourself to feel the sadness. Look at the photos of the person you miss, think about the good things that you have experienced together, and cry if this makes you feel better - all this is human. It is also helpful to write your feelings in a journal.

Method 4 of 4: Remember the Good

1. 1 Remind yourself of the good. If you're stressed, tired from work, or just feeling overwhelmed, bad thoughts may come back again. In order to prevent them from completely engulfing you, use special methods of dealing with unwanted thoughts that will prevent them from taking root.
2. 2 Visualize. This method will be especially useful for those who are very busy and who do not have enough time to rest. It is necessary to present in detail some pleasant place: it can be a memory of a place where you felt good, and a fictional place.
   • For example, you can imagine a beautiful deserted field dotted with flowers, or any other picture. Consider everything in detail: sky, open space, trees; feel the fresh air. Then, imagine an urban setting with concrete walls, paved roads, cars, dust and mud. Then go back to the field again... The essence of such an exercise is that it gives a figurative idea of ​​how we are made: by nature, our mind is pure, but we pollute it with unnecessary thoughts by erecting concrete walls on green grass. Over time, we build more and more walls, forgetting that below us - a living meadow. When we let go of unnecessary thoughts, peace and quiet return.
3. 3 Think about your accomplishments. The world gives us many opportunities to enjoy life: you can help others, finish your business, achieve certain goals, or simply get out into nature with your family or have dinner with friends. Thinking about the pleasant develops self-confidence and makes us more receptive to the good.
   • Give thanks for what you have. For example, write down three things for which you are grateful to the universe. So in the head, you can quickly "put things in order" and get rid of the flow of thoughts.
4. 4 Take care of yourself. Feeling unwell will prevent you from fully enjoying life and staying optimistic. When a person takes care of his body and takes care of his state of mind, negative thoughts and emotions simply have nothing to cling to.
   • Get enough sleep. Lack of sleep lowers vitality and does not contribute to a good mood, so try to get at least 7-8 hours of sleep a day.
   • Eat well. A balanced diet will allow your brain to get all the nutrients it needs. Include plenty of fruits and vegetables in your diet.
   • Go in for sports. Regular physical activity will help you not only stay in shape, but also fight stress. Both will contribute to better well-being and allow you to free yourself from heavy thoughts.
   • Limit alcohol consumption and do not use drugs. Alcohol is a depressant, and even a small amount can throw you out of balance. This also applies to most drugs. Limit your use and your state of mind will improve.
   • Seek help if you feel the need. Taking care of your mental health is just as important as paying attention to your physical health. If you find it difficult to cope with the thoughts that torment you on your own, seek help from a specialist: psychologist, social worker, priest - and they will help you return to your usual life.

Tips

• Remember that feelings and thoughts are like the weather: bad weather replaces a sunny day. You are the sky, and feelings and thoughts are rain, clouds and snow.
• The more often you do the exercises described above, the easier it will be for you to find a common language with yourself.
• Understanding the thinking process helps to effectively combat negative thoughts. A simple exercise will help you with this: sit down, relax, observe your sensations and reactions. Imagine that you are a scientist who needs to study how humans work.
• Everyone likes positive emotions and joyful feelings, but they also pass away, and we cannot constantly keep them in our heads in the hope that there will be no others less pleasant. However, you can remember these feelings when you need to calm down and stop thinking about the bad.
• See a counselor if the constant flow of thoughts interferes with your daily life.
• Close your eyes, "look" at the thought, and tell it to stop. Keep doing this until the thought is gone.

Warnings

• Attempts to forcibly get rid of some sensations or emotions will cause a defensive reaction in the body.
• Contact a specialist if necessary. Don't be afraid to ask for help.
• It is impossible to fully protect oneself from shocks, as the person changes and reacts to external impulses. It is not in our power to make the body work differently.