How to Stop Unwanted Thoughts : If your head starts to fill up with new, unwanted thoughts and ideas, you know it's time to change something. You can change how you think, but there are also other things you can do to ease the burden of the crazy barrage of thoughts.
Whether it's a familiar thought pattern or just new, odd ideas, unwanted thoughts are a common part of life. But sometimes, it can feel like you can't get rid of them, or they consume your every waking moment. If that's the case, it may be time to seek some professional help.
This might sound like more of an exercise in self-delusion than self-help, but there is no question that depression can be a cognitive illness. The most effective treatments seek to shift people’s sense of themselves. The most effective treatments, such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), ask people to change the way they think about things—it’s about becoming less fearful of negative information.
Positive thinking is sometimes seen as a virtue, and people who practice it have been called “bright” or “optimistic”, but it can be deceptive.
In a study of self-help books, scholars from Duke University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill looked at the relationship between happiness, belief in an afterlife and positive thinking. They were surprised to find a positive correlation between people’s self-reported level of well-being and the degree of optimism about their future. While the vast majority of people agree that sunny days bring more good feelings, the “optimistic” attitude can just as easily be seen as deluded.
One idea is that individuals develop a belief in an afterlife because they want to feel better about the chance that they will die soon, which contributes to depression. By suppressing the fear of death, an afterlife encourages feelings of security and feelings of well-being. Another idea is that it is because optimism reflects optimism about the future, in which case more positive thinking makes you more likely to find a job, have a good relationship, and pursue your dreams.
Positive thinking is sometimes seen as a virtue, but it’s not always helpful to think positively in times of trouble. Research suggests that negative thoughts are more likely to stick.
If you want to get rid of negative thoughts, you need to train yourself to say “no” to negative thoughts. One strategy to keep negative thoughts from occupying your mind is to say “no” to them.
Let’s say you notice yourself thinking, “I’m fat,” instead of saying something more positive.
The first step is to stop yourself from taking a negative perspective on what you are thinking. The next step is to replace your negative thoughts with positive ones.
Tell yourself, “No, that’s not true.”
We can’t control the thoughts that are in our minds, but we can control how we respond to those thoughts.
In a research study of gratitude.According to the study, people who regularly take time to reflect on and appreciate something are more likely to be happier.The researchers observed that this kind of gratitude resulted in an increase in life satisfaction.
One way to foster gratitude is to be kind to yourself.
What do you think of when you think about gratitude?
Is it about the kind acts you do for others?
Is it about the things you do for yourself?
But, it’s more than just thinking about positive thoughts.
It’s also important to be kind to yourself.
When you are kind to yourself, you remind yourself that you are special, and that you have a purpose in life.
When you do the kind things for yourself, you give your life meaning and purpose.The science behind this kind of positive thinking is pretty conclusive.Researchers found that people who tend to give themselves compliments about what they did to help others, or about their talents and attributes, are more likely to be happy.
People who give themselves constructive criticism, such as when they say to themselves, “You don’t know what you’re doing,” are more likely to be happy.
The one thing you should never do when it comes to your self-esteem is to beat yourself up.It’s easy to get wrapped up in negative thoughts, but you can train yourself to think positively, and live a more meaningful life.ving a meaningful life is about giving more and receiving less. Instead of getting your own self-esteem from what others think of you, you need to get your self-esteem from what you think of yourself.
Here's how you can stop unwanted thoughts from getting in the way of your day-to-day happiness.
1. Consider what your negative thoughts could be trying to tell you.
Unwanted thoughts are often about something that is negative, such as a negative way you're acting, or what you're not doing. Consider what your negative thoughts might be trying to tell you and work out if any of these statements could be true:
- You're missing out on life because you're not doing enough
- You're annoying the people around you
- You're a bad person
- You're not doing enough
For some people, unwanted thoughts might involve being too obsessed with something (like working out or weight loss), or thoughts like “I can't do this anymore” or “I can't get through this.” Sometimes negative thoughts could be because you're thinking about something that you don't want to think about, such as problems at work or something you don't want to talk about. Try to think about your thoughts in a neutral manner by adding, “I am noticing this thought and understanding that this is going on in your family. But sometimes it's not any of these things, and it's just the small negative thoughts. Don't judge your thoughts, and don't think that they don't matter, because they do. They are your thoughts, and they are what's in your head. The trick is to not let them control you.
2. Visualize your thoughts in positive terms.
Ask yourself, “What is my negative thought telling me that I am not enough?” Take a step back and put the negative thought in a new perspective. You may find that the thought or image you see may change the thought or help you focus on a different aspect of yourself. See what you see, and what you're hearing in your mind. Do you hear some negativity? If so, choose a different thought or image that is positive. Perhaps you could picture yourself feeling hopeful, or, you could envision yourself feeling better about something you're going through, or experiencing success in your life.
3. Write down your thoughts.
Ask yourself what the real problem is and why you're having this negative thought. Write down the thought as soon as it comes to mind and write down how you're feeling about it. Write down what you would like to think about it if you could. Sometimes it's not helpful to keep dwelling on a negative thought because it can drag you down into the negative spiral of thinking that will make you unhappy for the rest of the day. Some negative thoughts might be very isolated, but some might be more pervasive, and you'll need to start getting to the root of the issue.
4. Release the thought and let go.
By releasing your negative thoughts, you can start moving forward with your day. If you start to see yourself continuing to be consumed by a thought that has nothing to do with your life, you may want to consider getting professional help. It may be helpful to be prescribed medication, because other alternative therapies might not work for you.
5. Turn to someone for support.
If you need a second opinion or want someone to share your thoughts and experiences with, get in touch with a professional therapist. Talking with a therapist is a safe way to process your thoughts and feelings. They can help you see your thoughts from a different perspective and help you remove the blocks you've built around your thoughts. Getting someone to talk to can help you with this, and you might find that your negative thoughts start to change if you talk with someone.
Negative thoughts are not your personal devils, and they do not have you in their grip. Get in touch with the real you by learning to release negative thoughts and find a healthy way to deal with them. This is a process, and you will have bad days. When those bad days come, you have to be kind to yourself and have to know that it's okay to get angry and upset. You will be able to stop those negative thoughts, and you can regain control over your mind and your emotions.
