Varsha Kariya

Have you ever been stuck on a remark you’d rather not say out loud or a thought that just won’t leave your mind? You feel you are stuck with those thoughts. Then this article is for you.

Negative thoughts harm your mental health and can even make you commit violent acts toward yourself or others. For this reason, you should always try to ignore negative thoughts whenever they arise. Instead, focus on what makes you feel good and gradually work your way down to the positive emotions that accompany them. You’ll find that you’re much more able to handle life as you’re meant to, and those negative feelings will eventually pass.

Negative thinking stops you from doing and achieving things. Being negative creates an atmosphere of fear which is not helpful when trying to achieve your goals.

You are often too entangled in your own stories to see what’s important. The antidote is to change the story you tell yourself to see more clearly the big picture – the whole picture.

Consider these three examples: Imagine if you could stop time whenever you felt like it. What would you do? How fast would you move? What would you become? This is what negative thought-stopping is all about. It is not a technique for tranquility; it is a technique for transforming stress and anxiety into motivation and clarity to make better decisions in life.

Here are a few ways to get rid of negative thoughts:

1. Change your posture –

Take a moment and observe your body language. Are you hunched? Do you frown? Are you sitting with a closed posture? All of these indicate negative thoughts and depict lower self-esteem. It leads to a lack of confidence. To overcome this, you have to smile more and correct your posture. You must open your posture to feel safe and positive.

2. Empty your mind –

When your mind is wandering, it is difficult to stay calm and controlled. It becomes difficult to control the negative thoughts. You can try meditation along with aerobic exercises to be in an alpha mind state. 
Alpha mind state is a situation where your mind is relaxed yet focussed. It makes a person calm, helps your mind to be free of thoughts. You will be able to observe new information and be open to new possibilities.

3. Spend time outdoors –

Our thoughts are a product of our environment. If negative people surround you, you will think negatively. Hence, you have to get rid of negative thoughts and people. Getting away from this negative environment can help a lot.

Try taking a short walk to a park or museum. Step away from the chaotic life and reconnect with nature. Change the focus of your thoughts into positive activities. Play with children, enjoy with family and friends or just dance to your till you are content.

4. Channel the positive energy –

When you channel positive energy, you become more powerful. The force of will that drives you to blissful awareness is overwhelming and can get very overwhelming very fast. At its core, channeling is about holding onto the good feelings that you have already experienced and recognizing that they are only possible because of what’s already been achieved in the present moment and by thinking positively.  

5. Stop negative thinking –

Negative thinking is a result of a bad perspective. Try avoiding them. For example, you may say, “I have problems, and I am facing difficult times,” but instead, you can think, “It is difficult as I am facing challenges, but I will find solutions.” It is just that you are changing your perspective into a positive one. This small change of focus can have a significant impact on your thinking patterns.

If you are having negative thoughts, just write them down. Throw away these pieces of paper. It can make a huge difference. When you write down these, you can clearly understand what you are saying and how you are feeling as a result. 

6. Learn to identify negative thoughts and stop constant negative thinking –

Try observing your thoughts and work on identifying the negativity. People often label themselves in different contexts. For example, some people may say,” I am bad at math” or “I am the worst dancer,” which will often feel negative about activities that involve the skill. Remind yourself that these are just thoughts, not facts, and stop thinking about them and worrying.

7. Exercises to stop thinking negatively –  

Try this exercise to get rid of negative thoughts and boost motivation in the process. You will be able to change your habit of negative thinking.

Just take a pen and paper and follow these steps:

1. Write down all your negative thoughts. Simply note down whatever comes to your mind.
2. Focus on what you have written. Analyze the underlying emotion that those negative thoughts are producing. 
3. Become aware of the thought, learn to stop and change that thought
4. Know the frequency of thinking. Ask yourself, how often you think negatively in a day and how has it affected you.
5. Now replace the negative thought switch the positive ones. It should be something realistic and believable. 

Do these exercises and give yourself a day challenge to get started. 

8. Smile more –

Make a habit of smiling throughout the day – even on the bus or in the office. The reason we smile is likely because we enjoy seeing another person smile. Research showed that smiling reduced stress for the person being smiled at and increased positive feelings toward the stranger. It also led to more positive memories being formed in the brain. Another research shows that looking at pictures of happy people can brighten your mood even more and help beat depression. 

Thus, it is possible to get rid of negative thoughts. It’s only a matter of using the proper techniques. Positive thoughts help us grow and expand our minds. Negative thoughts stand in our way, making us smaller and less capable of standing on our own two feet. They paralyze us into inaction or debilitating depression.

Suddenly, you wake up and realize you’ve neglected to take positive action to improve your life. It can be as simple as missing a step. Here’s how to defeat the seemingly unstoppable negative thought, once and for all. Never lose hope – there is always a way back, with practice. It’s just that most people don’t know where or how to begin. Before you give up, remember these three things:

• Understand your mind and thoughts
• Stop being blind to all the positive aspects of your life
• Be happy, be optimistic and love your life.

If you are looking for more tips on positivity and joyfulness, download our JoyScore app now!

Modern life is fast and hectic. Practicing Mindfulness can help you cope better with stress associated with that. 

Mindfulness is keeping aside a quiet time every day just for yourself. 

When you practice mindfulness, you are creating a space for yourself. It’s a space to think, to breathe, and space for your reactions. Your minds are used to get carried away in thoughts. Mindfulness helps you to recognize that change and brings your mind back. Mindfulness is all about returning your attention again and again to the present moment and living it.

Here are six simple tips to have a mindful life:

1. Give mindfulness a try –

Mindfulness is about paying attention to your experiences. It is learning to live the moment. You can practice yoga and meditation to control your mind and feelings. It will help you to relax and improve your concentration.

Try to incorporate a few mindfulness practices into your daily life. Perform these activities first thing in the morning.

• Sit on the bed/chair with a relaxed posture
• Take deep breaths
• Relax and calm your mind
• Think about all the things you are willing to do today and their purpose

You may notice that you will be more conscious of your intentions for each day. You will also know how the quality of your communications, moods, and relationships shift.

2. Practice mindful eating –

Breathe before eating. Slow down a bit and allow for a calm mind to have food. Enjoy each bite of your food. Just think about the taste, flavor, and smell and eat slowly. You will know after some time, you will develop a healthier relationship with your body. 

3. Take a mindful break –

PauseTake a pause from the routine activities and try out something new. It will help you rewire the brain. Mindfulness makes your brain slower but stronger. It enables intentional actions, willpower and helps you to make decisions. 

4. Relax and try a mindful workout –

Exercise is good for all. The intense workouts or simple exercises can lift your mood, help you sleep better, and reduce stress. It will help you to synchronize mind and body. It will strengthen your capacity to bring energy to the task at hand. Warm-up initially and settle for a rhythm. Steadily slow down and stop. Notice your body and mind. It will be calmer.

5. Take a mindful approach to everyday life –

Once you have control of your mind, you need to take a more mindful approach to your everyday life. Whether you are inside or outside, try mindful exercises. Go out for a walk and sense the nature around you. You can even practice breathing exercises at work.

6. Consider a digital detox –

Technology distracts you, and it makes you avoid noticing things around you. Be strict with yourself and limit the usage of your phone. If you require scheduling a short session to check, everything is fine. This can help you to enjoy simple aspects of life without any distractions.

Once you have understood the benefits of being mindful, you can incorporate them into your daily routine. Whether it means spending 10 mins a day meditating, jogging, paying attention to the food you have, spending time to tune your muscles and senses, or all of these, you will notice the change. You will start seeing the impact on your emotional and physical well-being.

Get more mindfulness tips from Joyscore.

Self-care is anything you do good to yourself. It is being kind to yourself. It is considering yourself as an active agent in managing your health. It is integrating self-compassion into your life in a way that helps to prevent even the possibility of burnout. 

“Self-care is anything that you do for yourself that feels nourishing,” says Marni Amsellem, a licensed psychologist.

Self-care is just looking after yourself. You can avoid fatigue and illness. The benefits of self-care are endless.

Here are a few excellent benefits of self-care that you shouldn’t ignore. 

1. Connection with self

Taking time out helps you to develop a healthy relationship with yourself. You may be devoted to other people in your life, but you are the important person in your life. Enjoy self-reflection by evaluating yourself and let the problems work themselves out in the back of your mind. 

2. Increases positivity in life – 

When you practice self-care, it produces a positive feeling and boosts confidence. The list of self-care activities that you create will make you feel good. You will be optimistic and always be in an environment with positive vibes.

3.Improves productivity –

Self-care is nothing but taking some time out for yourself. Practicing that every day makes you feel refreshed and energized. Thus you will have more energy to do other important stuff in your life. 

4. Helps to fight fatigue and illness –  

Not caring for yourself might be disastrous. Neglecting self-care can lead to stress and disease. You might not be able to take care of and support your loved ones if you are unwell. This is where self-care practices are a must.

5. Reduces stress –

Taking a break from a busy schedule can help you to escape a stressful reality. A mental and emotional vacation can trigger relaxation and reduce stress. 

6. More connected to the world –

If you perform self-care activities, you will likely have higher engagement levels. You will be happy and feel more connected to the world around you. The relaxation will make you more aware of what is going on around you.

7. Boosts your immune system –

The rest and restore mode gives your body to decompress and re-energize. A good routine can help you cope with a hectic lifestyle. This provides the body the opportunity to build its defense against cold bugs. Self-care practices can help to decrease the number of sick days. 

8. Self-awareness –

You will be aware of your mindset by practicing self-care. The more you understand yourself, you will be more compassionate towards yourself. Self-talk can take the form of self-care in itself. You need to view yourself as a part of the collective human experience rather than in isolation. 

Are you wondering how to start with self-care? Read our latest blog post on Steps for self-care routine.

In conclusion, make self-care your top priority. You can make the rest of the to-do list later. Committing to self-care can improve your overall well-being. Only ‘YOU’ can take care of yourself. Know the benefits of self-care and offer yourself self-care every day, throughout your day. 

Download the Joyscore app to get more updates on self-care, well-being, and happiness.