In this article we will look at methods that will help get rid of bad thoughts in your head.
Negative thoughts can be debilitating. They are burdensome, take the joy out of life, and distort your view of reality. Therefore, it is often recommended to replace negative thoughts with positive ones in order to improve any area of your life. This sounds great in theory.
However, in practice, getting rid of bad thoughts is not so easy, especially if there is also a reason to be upset. After all, you can’t stop your negative thinking with the press of a button or the wave of a magic wand. Therefore, in this article we will look at psychological proven tips that will really allow you to get rid of these types of thoughts and close the door to any negativity in your head!
How to get rid of bad, obsessive thoughts and negativity: recommendations from psychologists
The nature and cause of the negativity in your head may be different. Someone really experiences severe trauma and cannot pull themselves together to enjoy life again. And someone, due to neurosis, induces negativity on himself. But it is important to understand that you need to get rid of bad thoughts without fail and in any order!
Follow!
Important: A bad habit of many, which becomes a stimulus for the appearance of obsessive thoughts on every issue, is talking to oneself. Yes, they may already be in automatic mode. But teach yourself, as soon as the voice appears in your head, immediately switch your attention. For example, calling someone on the phone to talk. This is what often becomes the reason for replaying a problem in your head, which for the most part you yourself invented. Just with different scenarios, but always with an unsuccessful ending.
By the way, previously such conversations alone with oneself were considered communication with evil spirits!
The first rule will be precisely the fight against replaying the plot in your head and suppressing your voice. If you get rid of this habit, you will spend significantly less time on an hour-long monologue. But other methods of dealing with bad thoughts will help you with this:
- Regularly drink chamomile or mint tea with honey (not sugar) every evening (not coffee after 18:00) for calm, no matter how trivial it may sound. If we talk about more radical methods, then you can use Valerian or Glycine, but also on an ongoing basis for about 10-14 days. It is this method that comes first, because only by calming down can you put things in order in your head. Moreover, often neuroses and movie problems in the head are the result of an abundance of caffeine and poor sleep.
- Now we rely on psychotherapeutic distraction from bad thoughts and even their persecution! And to do this, you must stop identifying yourself with your thoughts. In other words, we block ourselves from their influence - they should not control you and occupy your time and attention. Remember - this is just an echo of the day, stress at work or a quarrel in the family. This is neither the truth nor your reflection! It's just a lump of your different thoughts that got mixed up.
Dress correctly!
- Next you need to accept them! It sounds like crazy at first glance, but you shouldn't be afraid of your bad thoughts. As soon as you can let go of the situation that you are replaying in your head, it will stop haunting you.
Sports activities
Another item on the “for all occasions” list. Playing sports allows you to switch your attention, unwind, throw out emotions, and radically change your activity (relevant for those who sit most of the working day). The content itself can be anything - home workouts with tips from video bloggers, running in the park, at the stadium or on a treadmill in the gym/at home, dancing, yoga, swimming, playing football. Together with these activities, you get rid (at least for a while) of stress, anxiety, and forget about work. Your body produces endorphins, which are responsible for feelings of happiness. In addition, the undoubted advantage is that you pay attention to your health and appearance, while remaining active and diversified.
How to get rid of bad, obsessive thoughts and negativity: exercises
- Exercise “Face Fear”. You must imagine everything that worries and scares you! And you have to experience this emotion of adrenaline and fear. We are afraid of the unknown, but if you dare to take a step, you will find relief. By the way, remember the first lesson from Remus Lupine from the filmed serial book “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban”, which was based on the fight against fear. He's afraid of laughter! Take note to combat bad thoughts, which, like fear, are born only in our heads!
- Writing down your thoughts on paper can also help you with this You must subtly describe all the facets of your thoughts and the plots of your problems. At the same time, sometimes the decision will come by itself, and bad thoughts disappear. If possible, talk to someone close to you, but don’t turn these conversations into a habit of constantly complaining. And remember one thing - this should be a voiceover of your bad thoughts, but not complaints!
- Now let's move on to blocking bad thoughts. Positive visualization will help you do this. Of course, not everything is so easy, but when you visit a bad thought, reprogram your brain like this: either even such or a bad outcome from your situation/problem will bring you experience and benefit; or you do something different and end up winning again. By the way, we invite you to read the article “Visualization: what is it and how to do it correctly?” Exercise "Switch". We take our fears and bad thoughts and present them in all their colors! Disguise them as a switch or switch (can be placed inside). And when you have outlined everything in detail, press the switch and close these memories in your head.
Let go
- Let's solve this algorithm and find a way out! Bad thoughts become intrusive only when you cannot solve some issue! It doesn’t matter what your problem is, but all this just means is that you don’t like this outcome. Although you don't fix anything. Let's look at an example. You are consumed by the thought that you don’t see your family, you don’t get anything done around the house, but your salary doesn’t increase. And all because you cannot refuse help from your colleagues or boss with some project. And most of the time you sit at work for no reason. This is the simplest option to understand the essence of the problem. That is, you need not be afraid to express your dissatisfaction or the reason for the refusal, or demand additional compensation.
- Breathing exercise. Correct and conscious breathing helps you relax, calm down and drive away bad thoughts. But there is a little trick. Sit alone and sit in the lotus position (or whatever is comfortable for you). 5 to 10 breaths are enough, but it depends on the degree of your anxiety. Slowly inhaling and exhaling, we say “I inhale courage, and I exhale fear”! Alternatively, you can speak your thoughts/problems and find a solution to them or reassure yourself that they are insignificant!
Falls are also needed
Is a distraction always necessary?
Photo by Ron Lach: Pexels
It is difficult for any mentally healthy person to watch another person suffer. Even a stranger who has suffered physical pain evokes our sympathy and empathy. The person partially shares his pain.
The need to help appears most acutely if a loved one is suffering - a friend, relative, child or husband. It is impossible to brush aside his problems. The stronger the empathy, the stronger the desire to help. It is not always possible to eliminate the cause of worries. You cannot bring another person back to life, or save a friend from depression or panic attacks.
Sometimes it seems that all you can do is alleviate the suffering, try to somehow distract the person, return him to normal life.
Does this always need to be done? From a psychological point of view, no. If a person is experiencing loss, it is important to allow them to cry or be angry. Only through difficult emotional states can he relieve internal tension.
If a person is depressed, it should not be suppressed or ignored. He needs to acknowledge its presence and seek help. If he has panic attacks, you need to figure out why they occur and find ways to cope with them.
The same applies to anxiety, fears and phobias. You can't turn a blind eye to them. On the contrary, you need to understand their underlying cause and work through it.
How to distract yourself from bad thoughts: tips
Thanks to these tips, you will understand how to learn to close yourself off from bad thoughts, developing a strong immunity to them.
- Distract yourself with positive activities that you actually enjoy!
Yes, it sounds a little corny and seems complicated. But being busy gives you less time to focus on your thoughts and can also remind you of the things you enjoy. Find activities you enjoy or try something new. - Have your own hobby! A lot of psychologists insist that it is these little things that make us a person. Let go of your thoughts, plunge into creativity and give in to the impulse! You will not only shut down negative impulses, but also receive an inspiring charge of positivity!
- Go for a run. It tires your mind and helps reduce stress through physical activity.
- Take a walk outside or somewhere you enjoy, such as a park. In general, make it a rule for yourself to go for a walk every day for at least half an hour, and not sit within 4 walls alone with your thoughts.
- Watch a funny movie/TV series or read an exciting book. This method, of course, will not save you from replaying the problem, but it will help you to distract yourself. And if there is also an interesting plot, then you can even learn a lesson for yourself on what to do.
- Spend time with a friend, family member or social community. Staying connected to others can help you feel more positive and take your mind off yourself.
- Do good. If you are having a really hard time and your thoughts are attacking you, do something good. You probably see poor, disadvantaged people or animals every day. Just take them some of your things, feed them, and give them your time and attention. You can also go to an orphanage or boarding school and bring fruit, cereal, formula or diapers there. Having done a good deed, your soul will feel much lighter. And your negative thoughts will make room, because you will be thinking about these people and this situation for many more days.
The power of kindness
- Clean up your home. Yes, cleaning itself is calming, but unnecessary things also attract negative energy into your home. And it, in turn, causes negative thinking in your head.
- Take risks and get some adrenaline! It will help you get rid of bad thoughts in your head. Any new impressions bring new colors to our lives and give a charge of positivity!
- Take care of yourself. Taking good self-care can help you cope with negative thoughts too. Eating well, getting enough sleep and regular exercise can help you feel better mentally and physically. Also, allow yourself to sometimes go for a massage, get a mask, or just buy a new item. It's a small thing, but it can bring a drop of joy into your life! Try to eat a balanced diet that includes plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and lean protein. Avoid junk food, as well as excess sugar and fat.
- Sleep 7-8 hours. Please note that this is a recommendation for adults. Some people can sleep less and still feel great.
Important: Give up bad habits! They don’t calm down and certainly don’t solve problems, but they take a lot of energy and potential!
A vicious circle that needs to be broken
Reading
Still bookmarking and accumulating books on your hard drive or shelves that, under the influence of a momentary rational impulse, you were going to read someday? Stop and start reading! This way you will not only develop your imagination and exercise your memory, but also learn to enjoy the style and writing style of the author, and you will also be able to better know yourself through the inner world of the characters. This is the most universal advice that anyone striving for development should follow.
How to quickly banish a bad thought: technique
1 way:
As soon as you notice that you are thinking negative thoughts, tell yourself to delete the thought, just like you delete unwanted text from your computer screen. Order yourself: Delete!!! You can say to yourself: Erased, erased!!! In order for this to work for you, there must be templates with good thoughts (events), so that after these words you can change into a different way and think about good things based on the template that you have. If this translates to a computer, you simply close the old, bad tab and open a new one that you like. Over time, the body itself will rebuild itself to a new tab after the words Delete or Erase, erased.
Method 2:
Often there is some melody with bad words spinning in my head. It just so happens that negative songs are in great demand. And this song in your head will attract the negative situation it talks about. Therefore, you must have a template that interrupts the melody of an inappropriate song. For example, the song “I love you life”, “The world in which I live is called a dream ...”, “I am happy like no one!”. It is enough to hum the first verse several times until the unwanted melody disappears. You can play a positive melody or instrumental classical music.
3 way:
If bad thoughts simply overwhelm you and you cannot get rid of them using the two methods described above, use the Ho'oponopono system . If you ate briefly, you should say a few phrases to yourself:
- I'm sorry
- I'm really sorry
- I love you
- Thank you
These phrases can be addressed either to God, the Universe, the Creator, or to a person who worries you; perhaps you offended someone and now regret it. If someone offended you, or something happened, address these words to the Creator. Words should be spinning in your head almost all your free time. Don't focus on forgiveness. Repeat the words “ I love you ” most of all.
Stuck on screen
Holowell coined the term “screen stickiness” to describe the “pacifier” effect of the Internet.
As soon as we feel the first “urges” of boredom and frustration, we immediately go online. “People go online and don’t actually do anything important, but are just glued to the screen,” he notes. The best way to avoid this is to divide your day into periods of focusing on the most important work and periods of interaction with potential irritants such as email, social media. It should also be possible to look away from the screen, especially if you are working on things that require maximum attention. Turning off your phone and the Internet at such moments will help you be more productive, defeating the desire to “stick” to the global network. “There’s something mysterious about unread messages,” Holowell said. “If you hear a message or see an icon, you will want to read the content, even if the chances of it being useful are minimal.”
Getting rid of bad thoughts: mistakes to avoid
There are small steps that certainly won’t get rid of bad thoughts:
- Self-pity! Once again we emphasize that all our thoughts materialize, including pity. You are simply immersed in your problems, moving away from getting out of the situation.
- Excessive severity with yourself. It works on a different principle, but the result is the same. It will not solve the problem, but will only create new fear.
- Repeated replay of the unsuccessful ending. Remember - this is just a work of your imagination! But it will prevent you from acting, because there is already a fear of failure in your soul.
- Constantly putting off until tomorrow. This is not only working on yourself, but also any important matters. Their accumulation creates a baggage of busyness and negative thoughts.
- Fighting negative thoughts. Never intentionally fight negative thoughts. Thus, you declare war on them, and they will shoot back. You can't win this fight!
- Judging yourself for negative thoughts. Negative thoughts just exist. They are part of our life. However, it is important that you get back to normal and feel positive again.
Negative thoughts are a normal process of the brain and its combat mode. It's up to you to decide what approach you take to this fight against negative thoughts. But never let them take over you. After all, you can always find a way out!
Multitasking
One of the popular myths of our generation is that multitasking is the key solution to lack of time.
“From a neurological perspective, it is impossible to attend to two attention-demanding tasks at the same time,” says Holowell. This means that if you are on the phone with a client and reading a message from a colleague, the brain's attention is shifted towards the email, and the mind cannot handle both tasks at the same time. Holowell believes that multitasking is a recipe for mediocrity. As long as you are doing 2 things at the same time, neither of them will be done well. Thus, email reading may not be complete and conversation productive while you are multitasking.
“You definitely can't be highly productive by multitasking,” Holowell says. However, the specialist agrees that multitasking is sometimes necessary, for example, when it comes to taking notes during a meeting. He says that we need to be aware of the need to split our attention between both tasks, and consciously sacrifice our level of productivity to do both things at the same time.
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Interests/hobbies
Try not to abandon the things you were interested in at school/university. You definitely had a hobby. Did you design airplane models, take photographs, draw beautifully, play the guitar? Or you always wanted to, but never tried yourself in something. So, there will be no better time for this than now. Resurrect your old hobbies or learn something new. 1-2 hours a day, a couple of times a week instead of the usual computer or TV - pastime can be much more varied.
Why does insomnia occur?
Almost everyone has bad sleep. Insomnia significantly spoils a person’s health and life. I want to lie down and rest, but my thoughts simply won’t let me relax. Therefore, sleep comes at a time when it is time to get up. The man did not get enough sleep, he is in a bad mood and feels unwell.
Severe stress or anxiety, which any modern person is subject to, almost always spoils sleep. The reasons can be very different; many things make us nervous. After a while, the nervous system malfunctions from this lifestyle.
Stress is the body's biochemical and psychological reaction to what is happening. Insomnia is the result of stress that a person thinks about all night. On a nervous background, a large amount of hormones enter the bloodstream, which have a bad effect on the nervous system and interfere with sleep.
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Key words:1Time management
Article information
This article was co-authored by. Paul Cherniak is a licensed psychotherapist in Chicago. Graduated from the American School of Professional Psychology in 2011.
Category: Stress
In other languages:
English: Calm Your Imagination Before Sleep, Italiano: Calmare la Tua Imaginazione Prima di Dormire, Español: calmar la imaginación antes de dormir, Deutsch: Die Gedanken zum Einschlafen abstellen, Português: Acalmar a Imaginação Antes de Dormir, Français: calmer votre imagination avant de vous coucher, Bahasa Indonesia: Menenangkan Imajinasi sebelum Tidur, Tiếng Việt: Tĩnh tâm trước khi Ngủ, 한국어: 자기 전에 상상력 진정시키는 법, Češt ina: Jak zklidnit svoji představivost před spaním, العربية: تهدئة خيالاتك قبل النوم, ไทย: ทำให้จิ นตนาการ Nederlands: Je verbeelding kal meren voor je gaat slapen, 中文: 在睡前平静思绪, 日本語: 就寝前に心を落ち着かせる
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Listening to music
In psychology there is such a direction as “musical psychology”. One of its tasks is to study the influence of music on the human psyche. But in order to understand that music can influence our mood and be closely related to experiences and emotions, you don’t have to be a scientist. You probably know songs or compositions that motivate you or, conversely, have a calming effect. So we can conduct something like music therapy for ourselves. It all depends on personal preference. Whether you go to a concert, a philharmonic hall, or play the desired playlist using your home audio system, singing along and dancing along, is entirely up to you.
