Overcoming Negative Thoughts: Tips and Tricks

Like everything, it comes with practice. Challenge those thoughts, like others have said, but it’s important to note that they’re not just going to go away because you challenged them once. You’ll have to do it over and over every time it comes up, and make choices in spite of those irrational beliefs and the potential anxiety those decisions could cause, until your mind finally learns that those thoughts really are irrational and it can let go of them. Also, try to focus on related but positive thoughts if you can. Like, if I’m thinking that I always make things worse for people, I can focus on times that I stepped in and it actually was helpful. Just don’t be too hard on yourself if you can get the thoughts to stop despite doing the work. It takes time, but you’ll get there :)

Those are called intrusive thoughts! I used to have them very bad. After a bad accident I developed PTSD with OCD tendencies. I thought if I didn’t splash cold water on my face 7 times something bad would happen and that everyone hated me. The easiest way for these thoughts to be taken under control is challenge them. Ask yourself why this thought came to your head and then talk yourself through why it’s unrealistic. CBT therapy does absolute wonders. Keeping a journal of these thoughts and writing out when they came to your mind and why really helps. You can always message me for more in detail advice if needed! Best wishes❤️

2 book recommendations I have for that are Emotional Agility and Fierce Self-Compassion. They both have some very useful tactics for addressing negative self-talk / self-criticism that have helped me personally. One tidbit from the former is that telling yourself not to have those thoughts or trying to stop them is counterproductive cuz it actually causes you to focus more on it (and potentially add another layer of shame on yourself for not being able to stop). It's a process of accepting and practicing empathy for yourself, which doesn't happen overnight, but is achievable through gradual habit-forming!

You can try thought challenging, looking for cognitive distortions and tracing why you think that way. I know external validation helps in the process of reframing thoughts, but it only goes so far. We need to find a way to see ourselves in a positive light and it can be so hard. I am in the process of trying to work on that and it takes so much time, I am constantly a work in progress, but I've gotten to the point where now I can sometimes believe some nice things about myself. I wish you luck and success in your growth process 💕