The mind can be an exceptional servant but a horrible master if not tamed. If left to roam, your negative thoughts will go round and round. Does it feel like your negative thoughts have you in a chokehold? Your mind and body feel like it’s going into a rabbit hole. The slightest hint of inconvenience, and your negative self chatter spiral into autopilot. It is very frustrating when it feels like you are a slave to negative thoughts.
Many of us struggle with negative self-chatter throughout the day, often accompanied by other symptoms such as anxiety, depression, and overthinking. It leaves us feeling powerless. If you are currently experiencing this, you are not alone!
Here are some tips to help you manage your negative self-chatter and to take back your power today:
Journal
By writing your negative thoughts, you expose them. This is a powerful way of transmuting negative energy. It helps you identify how you are feeling in the moment, and is an important part of “feeling the feeling”. Not only that, it gives you an opportunity to organize your thoughts that would have resulted in overthinking.
Meditating/Prayer
Prayer and meditation are great ways of handing over our worries to our creator.
While there are many things we can handle, negative self-chatter can consume our minds and lead us into a spiral. The act of surrendering through prayer/meditation helps us to connect to our higher source and gives our minds a clear space to effectively tackle our negative thoughts.
Validate the negative thoughts
Many times, our negative self-thoughts are fueled by past trauma and are not always true. By validating these thoughts, you question the authenticity of the thought.
For example;
- Is this thought true?
- If yes, how can I improve on this situation now?
- If I am not able to fix this situation or change the outcome, what can I do now to produce a better result?
- If the answer is no, what is triggering this thought?
- What insecurity is this thought bringing up?
- What examples do I have to confirm that I am not what my thoughts say?
- How can I reassure myself that I am bigger than this?
While the situations may vary, this activity will help you categorize these negative self thoughts, and help you take practical steps to resolve the matter.
“Feelings are visitors, they come and go” -Mooji-
Our thoughts and feelings are not always adequate reflections of our truth. While negative self-chatter can be a pain, and many of us struggle behind closed doors, you do not have to be a victim anymore. With consistency and faith in yourself, you can manage your negative thoughts, and live the life you deserve.
Author: Nicole Reid