Time to say something, isn’t it?
SOMETHING…
there, I've said it now...
What I found in my personal experience about positive and negative thoughts…you do not get rid of a negative thought by deciding to stop thinking of it. The more you think that you should not think about it, the more persisting the thought becomes. So really the only way to actually stop thinking negative is to start thinking positive instead. Thought Replacement Therapy…distract yourself by something else. Fool your own mind. Make an effort to look around and notice something other then the negative that got stuck in your eye.
What appeared to be working for me is when the going gets tough, I'd go in another direction. Not necessary do something else, not essentially get yourself extra busy to leave little space for thoughts to exist. Just do something that you know you enjoy doing. Usually that helps.
I picked this up on a Daily Strength site: get yourself a conventional notebook, a nice pen&paper one and fill it with the things that bring you joy. No matter big or small, real or crazy, just some things that can tickle you happy or simply make you content…a Find Your Own Joy Book. Because if you don’t know what brings you pleasure, you will be always expecting someone else to bring it for you. And we all know just how unreliable these external pleasuresources can be...
My Little Book Of Joy features artistic picture of an autumn leaf on her cover and lives permanently on my bedside table. Every evening I’m trying to add something to the list and if I cannot think of anything this day, I’d just re-read what’s already there to remind me there are the things that make me feel good. I’ve got 43 listed so far. And so far I like the idea. I set the ultimate goal - to fill all the pages to the back cover... And then - buy another Little Book ;-)
SOMETHING…
there, I've said it now...
What I found in my personal experience about positive and negative thoughts…you do not get rid of a negative thought by deciding to stop thinking of it. The more you think that you should not think about it, the more persisting the thought becomes. So really the only way to actually stop thinking negative is to start thinking positive instead. Thought Replacement Therapy…distract yourself by something else. Fool your own mind. Make an effort to look around and notice something other then the negative that got stuck in your eye.
What appeared to be working for me is when the going gets tough, I'd go in another direction. Not necessary do something else, not essentially get yourself extra busy to leave little space for thoughts to exist. Just do something that you know you enjoy doing. Usually that helps.
I picked this up on a Daily Strength site: get yourself a conventional notebook, a nice pen&paper one and fill it with the things that bring you joy. No matter big or small, real or crazy, just some things that can tickle you happy or simply make you content…a Find Your Own Joy Book. Because if you don’t know what brings you pleasure, you will be always expecting someone else to bring it for you. And we all know just how unreliable these external pleasuresources can be...
My Little Book Of Joy features artistic picture of an autumn leaf on her cover and lives permanently on my bedside table. Every evening I’m trying to add something to the list and if I cannot think of anything this day, I’d just re-read what’s already there to remind me there are the things that make me feel good. I’ve got 43 listed so far. And so far I like the idea. I set the ultimate goal - to fill all the pages to the back cover... And then - buy another Little Book ;-)