How to Gain Control Over Negative Thoughts?

Thoughts and behaviours are the only two life’s elements, we can 100% control (if we are willing), rest are influenced by end number of external or uncontrollable factors like – hereditary, genetics, environment, another human beings etc. But today things are not happening the way it was made by evolution; now thoughts, especially the negative one are controlling people. Negative thoughts for some are becoming so much uncontrollable & unbearable that they are shortening their human lifespan.

Whether it is a fight with your partner or not doing well at the job interview, negative rumination robs you of your present moment, your well-being and over the time can lead to serious problems like depression or anxiety. Today psychologist Shivani Misri Sadhoo shares tips for how to gain control over negative thoughts.

1) Identify the activities that can change your emotion. 

Just like negative emotions and thoughts affect our activities, by making us anxious and depressed similarly, there are some activities that make our emotions improve, like travelling, walking in a park, listening to music, singing, playing instruments, painting, meditation, yoga (depends on person to person). More we practice mood elevating activities more we gain control on our emotions.   

2) Accept it, a majority of your worries never happens.

Generally, 95% of what we worry about never happens in lives, this happens because our brain works on an activation/inhabitation model. Active thoughts or allotting our brain to think what could go wrong inhibits our brain from figuring out why these fears are baseless.

Many amongst us depends on that one special friend, parent or a life partner to do the reasoning as to why our fears are baseless, but that is not permanent and an “all time” solution. One must learn to start thinking why these fears could be baseless?

3)  Many times we feel that if something unwanted happens it would be completely devastating, we wouldn't be able to survive, or we will be forever unhappy. But the truth is difficult and unwanted things happen all the time and people do survive, and because of them, sometimes come out as a better human being.