How can I stop negative thinking? Are you always asking yourself this?
If so, I guarantee this post will help you. And so will knowing this 👇
Our brains are naturally structured to focus on the negative.
Yes, that’s right, our brains are designed to look for the negative rather than the positive in our lives. It’s simply how they’re built.
So, if you often have negative thoughts, please know it’s not your fault—and that it’s not just you.
But unfortunately, it does mean it’s easy for us to get stuck in a gloomy worldview. One where we get good at spotting all the things we don’t like about our lives. The annoyances, the stresses, and the hassles.
Fret not though 🙂 there’s good news now!
We can (and should) train our brains to be more positive—to see all the things we like. The things that make us happy and bring us joy and energy.
The problem? No one told us we need to train our brains to be positive.
No one told us we could reduce negative thinking. Or how. (And at this point, I want to say, I do mean reduce. Given it’s not possible to control the thoughts that enter our mind, it’s also unrealistic for us to think we can stop all negative thinking. However, we can learn to manage our mind by training it to think more positively.)
And no one told us that to counteract the natural negative tendencies of our brain, we have to train it—often.
We need to train our minds to focus much more on the positive. Which in turn reduces negative thinking.
The great news at this point?
You can train your brain to be more positive in three minutes a day by simply jotting down three things you’re grateful for.
This, of course, can feel awkward at first, even a little ‘cheesy’ if you’ve never done it before. But writing down what you’re grateful for works, so push through the initial discomfort. So, you get the benefits of this brain training.
After a few days, I promise you’ll become more comfortable writing down the things you’re thankful for. And it’ll get easier and easier to spot and list everything you’re happy about in your day.
The cool part of all this you ask?!
This daily training literally rewires your brain.
With research showing that in just a few weeks, you’ll feel happier and more optimistic. Plus, you’ll be able to cope better with stress and challenging times. All this is the result of the neural pathways in your brain literally changing shape!
So, why not give gratitude writing a go for a week or two? And see if you notice a difference. There’s a high chance it’ll reduce your negative thinking—and I’ve no doubt you’ll feel much better in yourself each time you do it.
Now, take a quick look below for three simple steps you need to follow to help you reduce your negative thinking.
How Can I Stop Negative Thinking? The Free and Easy Tool 👇
Step 1:
Grab a notebook, or piece of paper, and write three things you’re grateful for. E.g. Listening to your favourite podcast, The Diary of a CEO, this morning. Grabbing a Starbucks on your way to work. Having plans with your friends this weekend.
Step 2:
Decide when and where you’ll write your gratitude each day. E.g. I’ll write three things I’m grateful for every day before I start work around 9 am.
Step 3:
Add when and where you’ll do your gratitude to your calendar. E.g. 9 am at your desk. Why? Because this last step increases your odds of success by 40%.
What a fantastic free and easy too to train your brain to be more positive. Don’t you agree?
I’ve been doing this for years now, and I never plan to stop, given the positive impact it’s had on the way I think and in turn on my life.
Anyway…enough about me 🙂
What are you grateful for today? Say it out loud or write it down right now. Either way, I bet you feel better after doing it.
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(Photo by Madison Oren on Unsplash)
