The average person has about 60,000 thoughts per day. Many of them we don’t even notice. What percentage of those thoughts do you think are negative? If even 10% of them are harmful, that is 6,000 thoughts throughout the day that are hurting you! Just think how positive and productive we could be if we turned those into ones that are beneficial to us. Here are 3 steps that will help you turn those negative thoughts into self-talk that will assist you to achieve a calmer and more productive mindset.
1. Notice the negative talk and stop it
The fist step is to notice when something negative is arising in your mind, whether it is about you or someone/ something else. Once you have started to notice what your triggers may be, or what your reoccurring harmful thoughts are, stop yourself immediately! A negative stream of thinking, can be addictive, but you can stop it!
2. Positive replacement
Once you stop that negative thought, immediately replace it with one that is positive and productive. This isn’t a one-time fix. You will have to constantly be checking thoughts, stopping the negative, and then replacing them with positive ones. The more consistent and persistent you are with this method, the more success you will have.
3. Positive mental statement
If there is something that you know will give you challenges with negative emotions and thoughts, then using a positive mental statement in preparation for those situations can be beneficial. For example if a driver experiences road rage while driving, they may want to have a “go to” mental statement such as, “Breathe. Give grace. Let it go.” Having a statement like this prepared will help you to be ready to combat the negative with a positive. It can be hard to be positive in moments of stress and anxiety. That is why having a prepared statement can be valuable.
Ultimately the ability to have a more productive and positive thought process falls into our own hands. We are the ones responsible for how we choose to look at the situations that arise in our lives. It’s normal to have thoughts that are not beneficial to our mindset, but the more we are able to recognize our triggers and replace the negative thoughts with thinking that will benefit us and those around us, the more content and at peace we will feel.