Get Rid of Negative Thoughts: How to Cleanse Your Mind from Negativity

The way you feel about yourself can affect how you live your life. This is because how we think and feel affects our brains, which significantly impacts our bodies. For this reason, it’s essential to be aware of how your thoughts influence both your mental and physical health. 

We’ve all felt the negative emotions from stress, anger, sadness… or even just boredom. But what if there was a way for you to manage these feelings better? 

In this blog post, I’m going to talk about negative thinking, the effects of negative thinking, and some of the ways on how to cleanse your mind from negativity.

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What causes negative thinking?

Negative thinking can be caused by many things, such as life experiences that have left a negative impression on us. 

For example, if someone has been bullied in the past and this negative experience made them feel insecure or angry, they may create an internal dialogue of self-doubt to protect themselves again from being hurt. Negative thoughts are often rooted in fear which can manifest as anxiety, sadness, anger, or insecurity. 

But the good news is, there are some ways we can break out of these patterns! 

 

What are the effects of negative thinking?

Negative thoughts can have a massive effect on your daily life. The more you think negatively, the more likely you will make bad decisions and end up in a negative situation. 

For example, believing that you’re not good enough could lead to feelings of insecurity or anxiety. Negative thinking is linked with low self-esteem, depression, and anxiety, which can affect who we are as individuals. 

Unfortunately, that’s not all. Here are some of the effects of negative thinking that you should be aware of: 

 

1. Negative thoughts can make a person feel down.

If you have been thinking negatively for an extended period, then it’s possible that your brain, no matter how irrational it may sound, could start associating these negative feelings with specific memories, people, things, and places. We may even act differently towards these things as a result.

But the truth is, the more depressed we feel, the harder it becomes to break out of depressive cycles and return to our usual, happy selves again. Nonetheless, it takes work on our part to get rid of those nasty habits!  

So, if you’re starting to feel down, try to break that cycle by taking a break and start looking at the brighter side of things. Try to take a long walk at the park or enjoy a day of pampering. Diverting your mind to happier thoughts and experiences usually does the trick! 

 

2. Negativity can be contagious. 

Negativity is contagious. It can spread around a group of people like wildfire, or it can be more subtle and creep into our lives. 

But no matter how it spreads, negativity has the power to bring everyone down. That’s why it pays to be more aware of how other people’s negative feelings affect you. If you find somebody in your group of friends acting negatively, try to see things in a rational manner instead of getting caught up in how they’re feeling. 

It’s also important to remember that you have the power to choose your thoughts, so don’t let anyone drag you down. You are unique and special, and you deserve to live happily without dealing with others’ negativity.

 

3. If negativity isn’t dealt with, it will continue to grow more powerful until it consumes all aspects of your life.

Negativity is cancer. 

It’s something that you can’t just ignore or forget about and hope it will go away on its own. If left unchecked, negativity has the potential to take over all aspects of your life until there’s nothing else but negativity left. 

That’s why it’s essential to learn how to control your thoughts and emotions. This way, you’ll be able to keep yourself from falling victim to the destructive nature of negativity. 

 

4. Negative thoughts can cause you to make bad decisions.

We all have thoughts that we don’t want to think about. These thoughts can be about the past, the present, or the future. Sometimes they’re about how we’re living our lives, and sometimes they’re just random thoughts that pop into our heads. 

But these are all normal, and we all have them from time to time! 

However, it’s important to remember that you should never allow a negative thought to consume you – and you don’t have to ponder on every negative thought there is. Because if you do, you might end up making bad decisions out of fear, anxiety, or insecurity.

Instead, you should use it as an opportunity to improve yourself and become a better person.

 

5. The effects of negative thinking may be long-lasting if not addressed early on.

Thoughts are powerful. 

When we’re in our heads, it’s easy for negative thoughts to build up and overwhelm us, making our problems seem much worse. 

That’s why it’s essential to take control of our thoughts. 

If we don’t address these negative thoughts early on, the effects could be long-lasting. However, with some time and effort, they will go away! 

We all deserve happiness; so, if you’re struggling with negativity from time to time, start taking steps today to regain control over what you think – and here are some of the ways how: 

 

8 Ways on How to Cleanse Your Mind from Negativity

Is negativity creeping in and affecting your life? 

Sometimes we need to take a step back and consciously cleanse our minds from the negative thoughts plaguing us. Here are eight ways on how to cleanse your mind from negativity: 

 

1) When you think of negative thoughts, go to your happy place. 

For some people, a happy place may be their favorite spot on the beach with a good book and cold drink in hand. For others, it’s a BBQ or camping trip with family and friends.

When you’re feeling down, try to shift gears and think about these happy places and situations you experienced in the past. 

Once you’re there, ask yourself: what made you happy during those times?  How relaxed do you feel? What made that positive experience a happy thought? 

The thought of being in those places can calm down even the most anxious person. So, whenever you’re not feeling yourself, try to go to your happy place in your mind. Or, if you have the resources, try to go there and spend it with positive people you’re happy to be with. 

 

2) Give yourself a breather from time to time. 

 We’ve talked about how taking time to reflect and breathe can help you with your negative thoughts. 

One of the best ways to do so is by making a conscious effort to take deep breaths during stressful times – taking five minutes out of your day to just breathe usually does the trick! It will leave you feeling refreshed, happy, and ready to get back to whatever challenge you’re facing for the day. 

 

3) Take a “news and social media detox” regularly. 

Technology has created a world where people are always connected. But like they say, too much of a good thing can be bad for you – and technology is no exception. 

So, if you’re constantly immersed in the internet, social media, and news, do yourself a favor and take the time out of each week to do a news and social media detox. Even better, try to unplug from the internet for an hour or two every day so you don’t get sucked into the negativity constantly thrown online. 

Doing this will also allow you to enjoy what’s happening right now without worrying about what might happen in the future.

 

4) Dedicate a few hours or days serving others.

If you’ve ever been around someone who seems to have it all together, you know how uplifting it feels when they share their experiences with you. It makes you feel like you’re part of something bigger than yourself and helps you appreciate what you already have. 

It’s no different with volunteering. If you want to make a difference in other people’s lives, consider dedicating a few hours or days helping them. You’ll find that doing so gives you more happiness than you could imagine. 

 

5) Find creative ways to release negative thoughts and emotions. 

One of the best ways to take your mind off of negativity is to indulge yourself in the little things that will make you happy, like a hobby or a sport. 

Or, if you’re feeling adventurous, you could try your hand at newer hobbies and experiences, like painting, cooking, dancing, etc.

Whatever brings you joy, make sure you dedicate time to it whenever you can. This way, you can let off steam (if you need to) and keep yourself grounded from negativity. 

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6) Reconnect with nature.

Nature therapy is one of the best antidotes to stress, overwhelm, and negativity. When we connect ourselves to nature, we reconnect with our inner selves. And when we reconnect with our inner selves, we become happier.

In fact, studies show that spending time in nature makes people less stressed and more productive. It keeps you away from negative thoughts, too! 

To start connecting with nature, you can simply open your windows and look outside. Or, if you live somewhere that allows it, you can even go on walks in parks and forests. 

So, whether you choose to spend time outdoors or indoors, the bottom line is to make sure you do it often. The benefits of spending a few minutes of your time with Mother Nature are endless! 

 

7) Take a moment to clear your mind.

Emptying your mind from all kinds of thoughts can be therapeutic, especially if you’ve been consumed by negative ones lately. To help you achieve this goal, you can use mindfulness practices and meditation techniques. Or you can simply just close your eyes and breathe deeply. You also have the option to use a meditation app if that’s something you’d prefer. 

An empty mind gives you a blank canvas and a clear space for more important thoughts, so you can focus on whatever you need to work on. So go ahead, empty it for a while, and fill it with more important thoughts and positivity! 

 

8) Refocus your thoughts.

A negative mindset can take over your mind. 

It’s easy to let these thoughts spiral out of control and make you feel like nothing is going right in life. This can lead to depression or anxiety, which makes it even harder for you to think clearly. 

Staying focused on the positive aspects of your life and consistently reminding yourself that everything’s going to be fine will work wonders for you! 

 

9) Smile more often. 

We all get so busy that sometimes, we forget how easy it is to smile and take a few minutes for ourselves. 

When you find yourself feeling down, try smiling instead of frowning! It’s not that hard – just think about something funny or happy while forcing your mouth into the shape of a grin. 

This simple act can make all the difference in how you feel during any given day.

 

10) Be less critical, and complain less.  

There are so many people and things in the world that you could complain about, but unfortunately, complaining doesn’t change anything.

Complaining is one of the main ways we let negativity enter our minds. So why not think about all the things you should be grateful for instead of constantly thinking about the things you don’t like? 

 

11) Make gratitude a part of your daily routine. 

It’s essential to find joy in your life and tell you the truth: it doesn’t take much. 

One of the best ways to do that is to keep a gratitude list and make it a habit to be grateful every day. After all, gratitude is all about looking for the good instead of focusing on what you don’t have.

So before you go to bed at night, try to write down five things you are grateful for. It doesn’t have to be something elaborate or big. It could be as simple as being thankful for having a nice comfy bed, a loving family, and a small house. It could be anything!

By having a gratitude list and counting your blessings every day, you get to see the glass half full rather than half empty – and it’s a good thing! An attitude of gratitude can work wonders! 

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Takeaway

Your mind is a powerful place. You create your own reality, so it’s up to you to ensure that the thoughts and feelings you are filling your head with are good ones! 

We hope these tips on how to cleanse your mind from negativity gave you some ideas on how to do just that. 

Which of these tips resonated with you the most? What other methods do you think would work? 

Let us know by commenting below because this discussion doesn’t end here – there’s always more conversation where this one came from!

Disclaimer:

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