How To Get Rid Of Negative Thoughts In South Africa
What is Negative Thoughts?
Negative thoughts are thoughts that are negative and random in nature in reference to one’s self.
How To Get Rid Of Negative Thoughts In South Africa
1. Recognize thought distortions.
Our minds have clever and persistent ways of convincing us of something that isn’t really true. These inaccurate thoughts reinforce negative thinking. If you can recognize them, you can learn to challenge them.
2. Challenge negative thoughts.
Whenever you have a distorted thought, stop and evaluate whether it is accurate. Think about how you would respond if a friend spoke about herself that way. You would probably offer a good rebuttal to his or her negative view.
Apply the same logic to your own thoughts. Ask yourself if you are assuming the worst will happen or blaming yourself for something that has not gone the way you wanted. And then think about other possible outcomes or reasons that something turned out differently than you hoped.
3. Take a break from negative thoughts.
It is possible to learn how to separate from negative thoughts. One way to do this is to allow yourself a certain amount of time (maybe five minutes) with the thought. Then take a break from focusing on it and move on with your day.
4. Release judgment.
We all judge ourselves and others, usually unconsciously. Constantly comparing ourselves to other people or comparing our lives to some ideal breeds dissatisfaction. When you are able to let go of judgment (not easy, but possible), you will likely feel more at ease.
Some ways to take a break from judgmental thoughts include recognizing your own reaction, observing it, and then letting it go. Another helpful technique is to “positive judge.” When you notice you are negatively judging a person, yourself, or a situation, look for a positive quality, too.
5. Practice gratitude.
Research shows that feeling grateful has a big impact on your levels of positivity and happiness. Even when you are experiencing a challenging time in your life, you can usually find things (even small things) to be grateful for. Noticing the things that are going well and making you feel happy will keep you in touch with them. Keeping a gratitude journal and writing a few things in it every day is one easy and effective way to do this.
6. Focus on your strengths.
It’s human nature to dwell on the negative and overlook the positive. The more you can practice focusing on your strengths and not dwelling on mistakes you’ve made, the easier it will be to feel positive about yourself and the direction your life is taking. If you find yourself thinking harsh thoughts about your personality or actions, take a moment to stop and think about something you like about yourself.
7. Seek out professional support
If you are unable to manage your thoughts or find they are interfering with your ability to meet your daily responsibilities or enjoy life. Counseling and therapy can help you weather life changes, reduce emotional suffering and experience self-growth.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).
What causes negative thinking in South Africa?
A common cold, exhaustion, stress, hunger, sleep deprivation, even allergies can make you depressed, which leads to negative thoughts. In many cases, depression can be caused by negative thinking, itself.
What are the most common negative thoughts?
Some examples of common negative messages that people repeat over and over to themselves include: “I am a jerk,” “I am a loser,” “I never do anything right,” “No one would ever like me,” I am a klutz.” Most people believe these messages, no matter how untrue or unreal they are.
What are positive and negative thoughts?
These are two powerful quotes. Combined, they tell us that if we think positively, we’re likely to enjoy positive results. Negative thinking, on the other hand, can lead to outcomes we don’t want. Positive and negative thoughts can become self-fulfilling prophecies: what we expect can often come true.
Who is negative person?
A negative person is defined as someone who tends to think and speak in a way that emphasizes all the bad things about themselves, other people, or situations. This personality type can be difficult for those close to them because they often see the world through such an intense lens of negativity.
What are the negative feelings?
Negative emotions can be described as any feeling which causes you to be miserable and sad. These emotions make you dislike yourself and others, and reduce your confidence and self-esteem, and general life satisfaction. Emotions that can become negative are hate, anger, jealousy and sadness.
What is the main cause of negative thinking?
Negative thinking has many different causes. Intrusive negative thoughts can be a symptom of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) or another mental health condition. Negative thinking is also symptomatic of depression (“Negative Thinking and Depression: How One Fuels the Other”).
Is overthinking part of anxiety?
The act of overthinking can be linked to psychological problems such as anxiety and depression, although it’s hard to know which happens first in each individual. It’s sort of like a “chicken or egg” type conundrum. Either way, it’s apparent that overthinking can cause your mental health to decline.
Why do I overthink everything?
While overthinking itself is not a mental illness, it is associated with conditions including depression, anxiety, eating disorders and substance use disorders. Rumination can be common in people who have chronic pain and chronic illness as well, taking the form of negative thoughts about that pain and healing from it.
Do bananas help anxiety?
Eating potassium-rich foods such, as pumpkin seeds or bananas, may help reduce symptoms of stress and anxiety.
Are dark thoughts normal?
This is normal. In fact several well-conducted studies have discovered that close to 100% of the general population has intrusive and disturbing thoughts, images or ideas. These can range from the mild and odd, to the graphic and horrifying*.
Are thoughts real?
We are aware of our thoughts, so in that sense they are real. And yet, our thoughts do not exist outside of our awareness. There is nowhere else where the thought that is appearing to you at this moment is actually occurring.