It’s normal to have negative thoughts.
Sometimes people get anxious because they have negative thoughts. With awareness, we start to realise just how often these thoughts come to the surface. This can be frightening when we learn about the power of focused and repetitive thought. The idea that we are what we think of repetitively is a statement that I've learnt to be true in my life. However, when we start to worry about every thought we have and not being able to control them, it can send us on a downward spiral.
I'm here to tell you that there is a way around this. Here are four ways you can respond.
1) Don't judge. The most important thing is not to judge yourself if negative thoughts arise. Showing compassion towards ourselves is so important when it comes to change. Remind yourself that you are in the process of reprogramming your mind and this will take time.
2) Learn to self-soothe by focusing on the breath. Instead of trying to shift from a negative thought straight to a positive thought, all you need in the moment is to come to a more neutral state so you don't continue to go down the dark hole of negativity. Tapping into the breath is so powerful. It not only soothes your nervous system, but it gives you something neutral to focus on and slows down the negativity spiral.
3) Feed the mind when you're in a calm state. Start a habit of feeding your mind daily with empowering thoughts and affirmations. Get really good at focusing on what you do want instead of what you don't want. Practice when you're feeling relaxed as many times throughout the day as possible. You can even set a timer as a reminder.
4) Practice breathing daily. Make it a daily habit to practice breathing for calmness. As you do this, it will become second nature to respond with the breath instead of letting negative thoughts consume you. This can be practiced at the same time as your affirmations. To help you in the journey, our Hā Tools act as a reminder to breathe, while also training you to slow the breath down so your parasympathetic nervous system kicks in and calms you.
You have the power to make small incremental changes in your life today.
Remember, it's ok to have negative thoughts, slow them down by focusing on the breath. Be sure to implement breathing and empowering affirmations daily so you can rewire the mind.
We got this!
Arohanui.xx