Have you ever stopped to analyze what you live thinking about all day long? How is your head? How are your thoughts? In times when the news seen is not the best, our thoughts end up being hit by all this flood of information, whether by punctual crises, or by opposing positions that generate polarization of ideas and opinions, or by what many media emphasize - even biased. And this ends up messing with our actions, as we tend to act almost automatically based on what we think.
organically pessimistic
And if we think negatively, our actions can even follow the same path. And the polls don't help our brighter side either. According to an article published by the National Science Foundation (USA) in 2005, the human brain produces 12 to 50 thoughts a day and, amazingly, 80% of them are negative.
To our mind, our pessimistic side influences us more than our optimist. We feel a loss more than we celebrate a gain. And it's not difficult to live with apprehension and defeatist ideas when external circumstances don't help either (violence, economic crisis, diseases, social inequalities). It also helps, in some way, to shape our perspective on things. But we must not let our thoughts dominate us or dictate the way we act and interact in the world.
automatic thoughts
Our mind is quite complex and we will not always be able to control our thoughts, as this does not depend only on our will, but on an effort to undo some thoughts that we adopt almost automatically. They seem to be “stored” and reproduced without our self-criticism, without a filter.
For this reason, a path of deconstruction is necessary, in the opposite direction of the automation that is carried out by our brain on everything that is exposed with great frequency.
How to act?
Our mind often reacts by automation. We don't always express what we feel or believe. That is why we cannot allow ourselves to believe that “we are what we think”, but we have to be aware that we can act according to what our mind reproduces.
It's hard to stop and analyze, but while we get used to what is automatic, we can also train our mind to critically analyze a reaction. We need to evaluate each behavior that is based on these thoughts: understand the reason for each reaction, stop, analyze if that behavior matches who we are and with our convictions. This is where the strength of self-control, the search for self-criticism and self-knowledge comes in.
tips to try
It is not an easy task, nor do we intend to bring scientific solutions, but the guideline here is to try to look inside ourselves and rescue our essence. Not only that, but also correcting negative and even harmful impulses.
Here are some tips that can help you deal with your thoughts and try to push the most negative ones away, preventing them from leading you to act under the pessimistic influence they have on your behavior.
Identify thought and context
Every time a negative thought starts to take over your mind, try to identify when it came up, what situation made you think that way, what the trigger was.
Try to analyze if it is a recurring thought and see if it always arises under the same circumstances. Try to act on the source of the problem, so it's easier to control the pessimism that comes from it.
Problems will always exist
Understand that problems and unfavorable situations will always exist and there is nothing we can do to prevent them from appearing. What we can do is learn to deal with the facts and our reaction to them. Self-control is one way.
Take care of you
Take care of your emotions. From your body, your mind and your feelings. Alloy everything that can do you good and help you keep your mental and emotional health balanced. Practice physical exercises, eat well.
value yourself
You need self-love first. Cherish yourself, treat yourself like your best friend. Don't belittle or belittle yourself. Don't underestimate your essence, look at yourself with compassion, love and self-forgiveness. Be good to yourself.
learn from adversity
Instead of getting stuck in the face of challenges and adversity, see them as experiences. Learn as many lessons as you can about every difficulty, every mistake, every thing that doesn't go as expected. Also learn to analyze, in the case of a mistake made by you, where you went wrong and what you can correct so that it doesn't happen again. It helps you to see bad things as part of our reality and also as an opportunity to learn, correct and improve as people.
Notice the good things in life
When bad situations come up, try to make a list of the good things in life. Of all the good you've ever given, you've already received. Of everything that life has that is pleasant and that we end up forgetting on a daily basis. That beautiful sunset, the wind swaying the trees, the birds singing and flying over your balcony. These little details brighten our day and distract our mind.
tell someone
The moment the negative crisis begins, talk to a friend, a person you know you can count on. So, you share the anguish, talk about lighter things and ease the problems with a moment of fun. Having someone to trust is critical. Even more so when that person can also count on us.
Don't obsess over bad news
You need to stay informed, but that's not why you're going to have an "overdose" of news - especially bad news. In times of tragedies, crises, global pandemics, wars and conflicts, it is common for the media to bombard their channels with information only about the problem at hand, as if nothing else is happening in the world – neither good nor bad. Learn how to filter this flood of news. Inform yourself, yes, because you need to be aware of any global change that could affect your life and that of those you love. But don't get obsessed with “hunting” for news about events. This messes with your head and ends up conditioning your brain to only take in the negative.
Relax
Learn to relax more. Whether in the form of not caring so much about everything, or with the practice of activities that allow you to rest physically and mentally, such as yoga, meditation or breathing techniques.
You may also like
- What is Accelerated Thought Syndrome?
- Break the cycle of self-sabotage by adopting new behaviors
- The importance of starting the day with a positive mindset
- Fight negative thoughts with reflection and optimism
- Understand the power of thoughts
- Exercise your self-confidence in your work environment
get help
If negative thoughts are too frequent to the point of harming your day or if they bring you a problem such as anxiety or panic attacks, consider seeing a specialist. It's okay to ask for help and they're ready for it.
Remember that you are not your thoughts. You are a sum of experiences, values ​​and complexities that cannot be summarized by attitudes that are often automatic and that do not reflect who you really are. Rediscover yourself, reconnect with your self and strive on the path of deconstruction and reconstruction.
