How to Shift Your Mindset Away from Negativity

In our everyday life, negativity is present all the time. It could be at work, in your social life or just daily annoyances that can make you feel really fed up. When you’re on your rush-hour commute or in an impossibly long queue at the post office, everything can seem that little bit worse.

These moments can be made even worse if something has gone really wrong in your life. You could be going through a breakup, lost your job or experiencing some kind of grief. When this happens, it’s easy to spiral into the depths of negativity where you’re unable to see the positive in anything. Now is the time to remember that negativity is a mind-set and although it is provoked, you have the choice to put a positive spin on everything. Easier said than done, right? Here are a few ways you can train your mind into seeing the silver lining, even when there doesn’t seem to be one.

Address what’s making you feel negative

Whether it’s a small annoyance or something more pressing that is making you sad, the most important thing to do is recognise it. If you can, verbalise it to someone you trust but make sure to give it attention. Giving your negative thoughts attention in a healthy way will help you to figure out what’s wrong. Just one small thing could make you feel completely down so investigating what is actually wrong can help you to fix it.

Use your Gratitude Journal

Whatever you do, don’t just dismiss your negative thoughts because they will come back when you’re feeling weak. Instead, get them out in the open and face up to them. Writing things down always helps and more importantly, writing down the opposite, what you’re happy about, can remind you that positivity can be found anywhere. If you’re feeling negative, spin it round and write down what you’re happy with instead.

Come up with a solution

Once you know what it is that’s bothering you, you can proactively devise a solution based on the knowledge. Knowing that the problem is going to be sorted can give a positive spin on the situation. Remember, you can only recognise the feeling of positivity if you’ve experienced the feeling of negativity.

Sometimes your problem won’t have a simple “solution” so working through short-term solutions and taking moments as baby steps is a way of coping with your negative thoughts. For example, the only solution for grief is lots of time to heal so making each day a little bit nicer for yourself by taking yourself out to your favourite café or going to the movies can help you take small but positive steps.

Distract yourself from general anxiety

General anxieties are common in everyone. Worrying and expecting bad things to happen and then they do, you suffer twice. When anxieties creep into your mind and try to take over, vocal affirmations can really help to dispel them. You can say to yourself:

“I recognise these feelings of anxiety but I am confident that I can solve my problems successfully.”

Affirmations about positivity or just doing something lovely with yourself or with friends will shift your mind into positivity.

Increase your own perspective

Reading, watching documentaries or trying something you’ve never tried before can awaken your brain to new and exciting feelings. Widening your horizons even just a little bit can turn your negativity into excitement and your stress into positivity.

Surround yourself with positivity

The law of positive attraction is the final way you can reverse your negative thoughts. The way you think about things in general, gives off an unspoken energy when you’re around other people. We’ve all been in a situation where being around a pessimistic person can feel like they’ve sucked the life out of you. Having an optimistic approach to life and exuding positivity will, in turn, bring positivity back to you. In the same way, surrounding yourself with positive people and people who bring out the positivity in you will train your mind to expel negativity wherever it can.