Do you want to know how to deal with negative thoughts? Do you often stress about circumstances that are out of your control? How can negative thoughts affect your mental health?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The quality of your thoughts, both positive and negative, affect your mental health and state. Focusing on negative thoughts can cause overthinking, anxiety, and depression. So, rather than stressing about things that are beyond your control, learn to reframe your thoughts<\/a> and improve your mental state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are some productive ways to process your fearful and negative thoughts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n Shetty argues that you\u2019ll never be able to fully control external circumstances<\/strong> (other people, situations, and so on). Further, attempting to control the uncontrollable only fuels thoughts that make you feel uncomfortable (for example, \u201cthey should act like this,\u201d \u201cthat shouldn\u2019t have happened\u201d). Fortunately, there is something you can control that will massively impact the way you perceive, feel about, and respond to your experiences: your thoughts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n (Shortform note: Like Shetty, many law of attraction<\/a> practitioners agree that your thoughts shape the way you feel and respond to your circumstances, and they agree that struggling to change external circumstances only creates discomfort and anxiety. However, unlike Shetty, they argue that your thoughts <\/strong>create<\/em><\/strong> your external circumstances<\/strong> and that you can<\/em> control your experiences by aligning your thoughts with what you want<\/a>. For example, they claim that you can change the way someone responds to you by focusing only on how you want<\/em> them to behave. According to Shetty\u2019s argument, this attempt at mentally controlling external circumstances will only fuel your discomfort.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n We previously discussed how the quality of your thoughts\u2014whether they\u2019re positive or negative\u2014impacts your mental state. According to Shetty, positive thoughts<\/a> spring from values that benefit your wellbeing: They focus your mind and allow you to make decisions that feel meaningful. On the other hand, negative thoughts encourage overthinking: They clutter your mind and encourage you to continue thinking distracting and unproductive thoughts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n (Shortform note: Multiple experiments confirm Shetty\u2019s claim that your thoughts impact your mental state. Negative thinking habits<\/a> lead to stress, anxiety, and depression. Further, studies confirm that negative thoughts are bad for your physical health<\/strong><\/a>. Prolonged negativity affects your hormones, immune system, sleep, brain<\/a>, and digestion. Like Shetty, researchers suggest that you can improve your overall well-being by paying attention<\/a> to the thoughts you focus on and how these thoughts make you feel. They also recommend undertaking a daily ritual such as meditation<\/a>, therapy, or physical exercise.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Shetty argues that your negative thoughts <\/strong>do<\/em><\/strong> have one benefit\u2014they offer guidance about what\u2019s important to you.<\/strong> You\u2019re more likely to have an opinion about a subject you care about than one that\u2019s of no interest to you. Consequently, Shetty suggests that you first try to understand the triggers beneath your negative thoughts before you attempt to eliminate them. The more you understand why you think the way you do, the easier you\u2019ll find it to address and change your negative thoughts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n (Shortform note: Many self-help practitioners agree that increasing your awareness of why<\/em> you think negative thoughts is the key to changing them. Without this understanding, you\u2019re more likely to believe that your negative thoughts are entirely rational (because your experiences justify<\/em> your negative reactions), and you won\u2019t feel motivated to change the way that you think about or react to your experiences.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here is Shetty’s advice on how to deal with negative thoughts: <\/p>\n\n\n\n 1) Notice, question, and change your negative thoughts:<\/strong> Shetty advises that you practice paying attention to your thoughts so that you can notice when you\u2019re engaged in negative thinking. Next, consider where the negative thought is coming from and whether it reflects who you want to be<\/a>. Finally, decide to think thoughts that make you feel better about the situation\u2014beneficial thoughts tend to cast a positive light on yourself and others. <\/p>\n\n\n\n (Shortform note: Similar to Shetty\u2019s method, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy<\/a> (CBT) focuses on asking questions to assess the rationality of uncomfortable thoughts and to explore other perspectives. This process helps you to examine and challenge uncomfortable thoughts so that you can find alternative ways to think about your triggers. The more you question the validity of your uncomfortable thoughts, the less likely you are to accept them as truth and allow them to rule your emotions.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2) Appreciate what you do have:<\/strong> Shetty claims that your fears point you toward what you\u2019re afraid of losing\u2014the things you\u2019re most attached to. However, when you accept that you can\u2019t control how long any of these things will stay in your life<\/strong>, you change your relationship to the things that bring you fear: Instead of trying to control and hold onto the things you care about, you\u2019re able to appreciate and enjoy what you have.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (Shortform note: Psychologists agree that disentangling the emotions you feel about the things you\u2019re afraid to lose encourages peace of mind and allows you to fully enjoy what you do have. They suggest the following process to isolate and calm your fearful feelings<\/a>: Write down everything you wish to maintain and keep. Then, clarify in as much detail as possible exactly why these things are important to you. Next, note down the specific fears you have about losing these things and reflect on how focusing this way makes you feel\u2014do these feelings enhance or diminish your relationship with the things you care about? Finally, accept these fears as valuable indications of what\u2019s most important to you<\/a>.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n 3) Get to the root of your fears:<\/strong> Shetty argues that, while your fears may appear to relate to a specific subject, they often arise from a broader, unconscious fear that\u2019s been influencing all of your decisions. He suggests that you dig down and keep asking why you\u2019re afraid of something so that you can resolve the fear at its root. For example, you’re afraid of losing your job. Why? Because you worked so hard to get where you are. Why? Because your self-worth is tied to your achievements. Why? <\/p>\n\n\n\n (Shortform note: Like Shetty, clinical psychologists argue that the fears you\u2019re conscious of have deep roots that you\u2019re often unconscious of. They explain that there are five core fears related to loss that form the basis of all other fears<\/a>: loss of love, identity, meaning, purpose, and life. So, in addition to trying Shetty\u2019s process of asking \u201cwhy,\u201d consider which one of the five categories your fear falls into. For example, if you\u2019re afraid of losing your job, it might be because your identity is tied up in your work, or because you don\u2019t believe that you can feel a sense of purpose<\/a> in another job.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n 4) Detach from your negative impulses:<\/strong> It\u2019s common to identify with our negative thoughts and feelings<\/a> by saying, \u201cI am [the thought or feeling]\u201d\u2014for example, \u201cI\u2019m scared,\u201d or, \u201cI\u2019m sad.\u201d Shetty claims that identifying with your thoughts in this way makes it difficult to disentangle yourself from the discomfort you\u2019re feeling. He recommends that you view your thoughts and emotions as separate from you<\/strong> by saying, \u201cI\u2019m thinking about…\u201d or, \u201cI\u2019m experiencing feelings of…\u201d This allows you to detach yourself from any discomfort you feel and respond more objectively to your thoughts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (Shortform note: According to clinical psychologists, the reason it\u2019s difficult to disentangle yourself from negative thoughts is that negativity influences you to <\/strong>think judgmentally about your negative thoughts<\/em><\/strong>. This adds an additional layer of distress to your original negative thought and makes you feel powerless to change your thinking. For example, you berate yourself for your anxious thoughts because you feel like you should<\/em> be more confident. This judgment disempowers you because it makes you feel like you\u2019re flawed<\/a> in some way, and it increases your feelings of anxiety. Like Shetty, psychologists recommend that you step outside your thoughts to avoid falling into the trap of self-judgment.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n 5) Practice forgiveness<\/a> to release self-destructive thoughts:<\/strong> Thoughts of shame, guilt, and anger often arise when you look back on the things you\u2019ve done throughout your life that you feel ashamed or disappointed about. Shetty claims that the only way to move forward from these unproductive thoughts is to acknowledge why you feel this way and then to forgive yourself<\/a> for the mistakes that you\u2019ve made. In addition, he suggests practicing forgiveness<\/a> towards those who trigger feelings of resentment or anger in you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n (Shortform note: In How To Stop Worrying and Start Living<\/em><\/a>, Dale Carnegie expands upon the idea that you should forgive past hurts so that you can move forward and embrace success and happiness<\/a>. He claims that holding onto past grievances takes away your power because it prevents you from focusing on what you want. These negative feelings can also harm your physical health and produce effects such as high blood pressure and insomnia. Carnegie\u2019s suggestions for releasing grievances include looking for the good in every situation and focusing on something you\u2019re passionate about<\/a>.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n 6) Focus on feeling grateful to block negative thoughts:<\/strong> Negative thoughts encourage you to focus on reasons to feel dissatisfied with yourself, your experiences, and other people. Shetty argues that practicing gratitude<\/a> offers a way out of the tendency to focus on what\u2019s not going well. According to him, when you feel gratitude, your focus on positive thoughts blocks negative thoughts from distracting you. The more you practice feeling gratitude for every experience in your life, the easier you\u2019ll find it to remain positive and take advantage of opportunities that align with how you want to live. <\/p>\n\n\n\n (Shortform note: Even though we\u2019re all aware of the benefits of gratitude<\/a>\u2014it promotes greater mental and physical wellbeing\u2014it can still be difficult to practice, especially when things don\u2019t seem to be going well. Like Shetty, many psychologists suggest that you establish a daily practice such as keeping a gratitude journal so that thinking positive thoughts<\/a> naturally becomes part of your routine. Some self-help practitioners also advise that you use visual reminders to trigger thoughts of gratitude<\/a>. For example, use a gratitude quote as your screensaver or place a picture of something you\u2019re grateful for by your desk.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition to choosing more positive thoughts, Shetty suggests that you incorporate meditative practices into your daily routine to quiet your thoughts and cultivate inner silence. This will help you to reflect on your values and develop deeper insights about who you are<\/a>, why you do things the way that you do, and why your experiences are the way that they are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (Shortform note: Mental health practitioners confirm that meditation increases your self-awareness, encourages you to think positively, and improves your mental well-being. Consequently, meditative practices also help you to manage the symptoms of many stress-related health issues<\/a> such as high blood pressure or tension headaches.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n One meditative practice you can try is breathwork. According to Shetty, your breathing patterns reflect your mental and emotional states<\/strong>: When your thoughts are positive and you feel relaxed, your breath flows easily. On the other hand, when you’re anxious or angry, your breath becomes more ragged or irregular. Shetty argues that the reverse is also true: When you calm your breathing patterns, your thoughts also calm down<\/strong>. With practice, meditations focused on breathwork will become an immediate way to calm your thoughts and shift your mental state from negative to positive.<\/p>\n\n\n\nFocus On What You Can Control<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Productive Ways to Process Your Fearful and Negative Thoughts<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Cultivate Inner Silence and Awareness<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n