Get Out Of Your Head

How To Move From Negativity to Positivity in 3 Steps

Does your brain ever get tired? Thinking of all the things you have to do, of how to get your job done, or juggle the kids’ activities, of where dinner will magically come from that night?

What about positive and negative thinking? Do your negative thoughts seem to outweigh the positive ones?

If this sounds like you, please know, you are not alone.

There is a reason why we tend to instinctively have more negative thoughts, why the media is full of negative headlines and why we feel more drawn to these negative headlines than positive ones.

Much of this is thanks to our million year old brain that acts to serve and protect us from danger. Psychologically we are wired to react to this negative news and it can have a considerable impact on us.

But what if we don’t want to continue living in a sea of negativity, overwhelmed with the constant bad news that endlessly circles around us. How can we find a way through this to see the light of a more positive life?

All of our thoughts and feelings begin in our minds, and it would be wise for us to acknowledge just how powerful our minds really are.

Here is a quick 3 step process to help you move from a more negative mindset to a more positive one:

1. One of the first things we can do is understand that these Automatic Negative Thoughts (aka ANTs) are normal, and recognize it for what it is- our million year old brain trying to protect us.
2. The second thing we can do is to stamp those ANTs by saying thanks but no thanks! Thank you for trying to protect me, but I don’t actually need your help right now.
3. The third thing we can do is create a new pattern to run. Rewrite that negative thought pattern by consciously creating a new one. When our daughter was younger and would complain about certain things, when negativity would start to get the better of her, we would validate her concerns, and then encourage her to come up with three positives about the situation. There are usually pros and cons to every situation- it all depends on what we focus on.

The truth is that negativity can be crippling to our happiness, our drive, and therefore our progress, in all areas of life. It can weigh us down mentally, physically and emotionally. It is something that needs to be recognized, monitored and controlled as we journey through life.

On the contrary, practicing and developing our positive thinking (aka the sunny side), can allow us to think more clearly, heal from our wounds and create opportunities that will serve us well in life.

In reality, there will be positives and negatives in everything. It all depends on what we focus on.

Here’s to your journey, knowing that you are not alone, understanding your thoughts, stamping those ANTs and changing your pattern to rewrite a new positive narrative.