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Happiness

How to Eliminate Negative Thought Patterns for Positive Change

How to Eliminate Negative Thought Patterns for Positive Change

By: Eboni Gee

Reflection of Negative Thought Patterns

When I am looking to make a change, I find that reflection is a powerful first step. Understanding what has led you to a particular place in life and what has kept you there will give you an outline of how to get out of it.

Reflection provides the reasons you made the choices you have thus far, and in knowing them, makes it easier to create a plan to eliminate root causes of problems. This will get you out of the patterns of repeating damaging behavior.

Many people do not realize that the mind/body connection originates within your thoughts. When you think about something negative that is currently going on in your life, reflect on the root cause of the decisions that led to this manifesting. 

  • What was the initial trigger?
  • Was it the traffic jam that made you late for work?
  • Was it what your significant other said to you before you went to sleep?
  • Is it memories from your childhood that have followed you ever since they occurred?
  • It could be anything that has happened to you and that you continuously think about.

You begin to develop feelings, as a result, that go along with those thoughts. Fear, doubt, shame, anger, pain and uselessness just to name a few, that then creep into unrelated situations in your world.

These feelings translate into behaviors of procrastination, emotional eating, unhappiness, lack of excitement and a plan about how you will live your life.

If these thoughts, feelings and behaviors persist, you end up in negative thought patterns that poison your life.

During your reflection time, it might help to journal your thoughts so that you can look back on what you have written and gain the clarity needed to totally deal with your patterns, making your decision to change that much easier.

I would advise you to continue to journal throughout this process, not only is it very therapeutic but there will be days when you want to quit and it will help you to see how far you have come already.

The Decision to Change Negative Thought Patterns

Changing the way you think is a decision that has to be made if you are going to be successful. Your mind wills the body, so if your mind is not one hundred percent committed to making the changes required, it will never work.

The decision is so much more than changing your mindset, it’s about deciding how you will live your life. It’s about getting in touch with your purpose and pursuing your passions and goals.

Making a decision means choosing how you want to live from that moment forward, with the objective of not going backwards.

This has to be a concrete decision, staying on the fence is not an option. You must be loyal to your decision and faithful in your follow through. You must fiercely desire to be that change you want to become.

If this decision is not visualized in your mind it makes it difficult to materialize in your life.

The Plan on How to Change Negative Thought Patterns

Creating a plan to stop the negative thought patterns will eliminate the feelings and behaviors associated with them, giving you more power over your world.

Use what you have found during your journaling process to create the outline of past patterns and how you can change them into positivity. For every negative thought that you have, create a positive affirmation statement, visualize the feeling it produces and choose a behavior that corresponds.

An example of outlining these behaviors would be:

  • Negative thought: ” I will never get out of this mental rut, it’s too hard and I don’t have enough time to work on me.”
  • The positive affirmation: “I have everything I need to create positive thoughts. I am worth the time.”
  • The behavior change needed for you to feel like you have plants of time and you are no longer in a mental rut: Write down what this looks like for you. Are you at peace? Are you in a joyful place in life? Do you go about you day thinking only about the present moment? Whatever it is, feel those emotions.
  • Now you are remodeling what you used to do and replacing those negative activities with positive ones!

You might not feel very positive in the beginning; I know I didn’t. It was a fake it until you make it time for me. The more you feed your mind with positive and joyful thoughts, the more you will start to look at things in a better light.

You will foster a more desirable approach to the way you live your life and everything will seem more tolerable because you are more fulfilled in your own life. The people around you will also notice the difference and begin to respond to you in a different way.

The Result

Learning how to deal with obstacles that come up is also part of the process. Life happens to us all, no matter what. It’s no use “wishing” things won’t happen, the best way to face them is to be prepared.

Go back to your journaling, what has always gotten you off track in the past? Your journal will be very telling about your habits as well as your progress. Be aware of the people or situations that make you vulnerable to getting off track.

Create safeguards that will ensure your success. Know that obstacles will come and that they don’t have to derail your plan.

You will fall and get knocked down but that’s not what will define you. How you get back up and learn from those obstacles will build your character, strengthen your self-confidence and give you proof that you can do whatever you want.

Don’t let the rough days overshadow the great changes and progress that you are making. Living in your purpose and creating your dreams is what life is all about.

You can do and be anything you want, stop limiting yourself. You are worth it! Celebrate yourself every day and watch what happens!

If what I said resonates with you but you don’t know

where to click here for a free workbook to get you started!

About the Author:

My name is Eboni Gee and I am wife, mom, registered nurse and entrepreneur. My passion is in helping people who are looking to make peace with their past mistakes, regrets and bad decisions so that they can turn those lessons into blessings and live in their purpose. I love to cook, bake and entertain! I frequently create free resources to help my readers get started.

I love to write about healthy mindsets, self-care, personal development and goal setting. These are all essential components of living a healthy, balanced lifestyle.

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