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How to stop negative thoughts from entering your mind?

34 Answers
Last Updated: 05/31/2022 at 12:17pm
1 Tip to Feel Better
United States
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Sarah Robb, LISW-S (Licensed Independent Social Worker, Supervisor Designation) and LICDC (Licenced Chemical Dependency Counselor)

Clinical Social Work/Therapist

Difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations. Life poses many challenges. Learning to face, cope with, and resolve these challenges can increase our resilience.

Top Rated Answers
Roadie
December 31st, 2014 6:59pm
I used to find that trying to control negative thoughts by blocking them out in my mind.. fighting them in essence.. was unsuccessful. A small change that I may and that I find works for me is having something outside of my mind that is a trigger for cutting off a negative thought. When a negative thought enters my mind, I click my fingers and recite to myself words to the effect that I am not going to entertain that thought. I then try and think of something positive. Something that makes me smile; some time of being cared; some positive thought to replace it with on an unrelated subject. Works for me anyway and now the negative thoughts are controllable.
Anonymous
December 31st, 2014 8:24pm
for every negative thought try to think one positive one. Sometimes we think everything is horrible because we focus only on the bad.
Anonymous
August 10th, 2015 4:32pm
Let's be straight - you can't stop thoughts from entering your mind sometimes. If you deliberately try to supress certain thoughts you can actually make them more likely to surface! (It's known as the ironic process theory) So relax, accept that you can't stop certain thoughts from entering your mind sometimes, but that's not a bad thing! We all have thoughts we don't like, but that's all they are - thoughts. They don't change anything. It's your actions that define you! So instead try spending your time in more productive and positive ways such as by getting exercise or hobbies, being mindful and in the moment.
MarkoP
December 14th, 2015 10:20pm
Simple, calm down. Take few deep breaths. Realize that is just your mind playing tricks. Accept them. And let them go. You need to learn to accept negative thoughts as a part of you, and learn to let them go.
WillBC23
March 11th, 2015 6:27pm
I have found that this takes practice and training, so what I've done is to ever day write down three things for which I'm grateful. That makes me generally more positive, and when something bad happens I'm more likely to see the good that's in with the bad.
Revill16
December 31st, 2014 5:00pm
The best way to stop negative thoughts from entering your mind is by keeping yourself distracted but also learning to love those parts of you which you may have previously considered flaws. Doing these things have really helped me prevent a lot of negativity entering my life.
Anonymous
July 10th, 2017 5:59am
By not giving them any power over you, thoughts are just thoughts at the end of the day. Watch them pass by and go just the way clouds do.
TheFlowerGarden
March 13th, 2017 4:52am
Negative thoughts will come and go, you can't stop them. You should embrace them so you may learn from them and be more prepared the next time!
Anonymous
December 31st, 2014 5:58pm
I don't think it's possible to stop them entering but in order to dull them they must be shared or the person must come to a realization of their unimportance.
caprisun1011
June 17th, 2015 4:30am
This is a great question! The best way to stop negative thoughts from entering your mind is to find something that makes you happy! Maybe writing or watching a funny movie, talking to a good friend? There's loads of things that can stop these negative thoughts. Also, I would suggest writing down these thoughts on paper, so that when they do come into your mind, you can release them in a healthy way. And, maybe in order to "get rid" of those negative thoughts, you could burn, tear up, or throw away the paper?
Anonymous
January 2nd, 2015 1:37am
By diverting your mind into something else in which you think can distract you most and also do things in which you think is fun and can enjoy the most and be happy about it. Think of a good memory that can also lead to positivity thoughts or dream about something you love or like :)
Anonymous
February 29th, 2016 7:04am
Think of happy things, listen to uplifting music, take a walk. Do something that makes YOU happy!!!!
Oscarthecat3
August 30th, 2016 12:34pm
From my experience, the best way to keep negative thoughts from straying into the mind, is to exercise frequently, organise frequent outings with friends, and to have occasional breaks to your daily routine, do something different.
Anonymous
May 3rd, 2016 2:01pm
Try to understand the reality and don't underestimate yourself. Don't think that you can't do anything. You are also special and you've so many talents try to find out your passion and focus on it. Try to fulfill your dream but please don't get over realistic
Smrtbibliophile
April 9th, 2015 2:07am
I think it's tricky to stop them from entering, but when they do enter, I ask myself how I'd respond to a friend who had the same thought. It puts things into perspective for me.
RewindTheClock
November 27th, 2017 5:36am
I like to do what is typically called a self-check in but I call it taking my thoughts to court because I am about to disprove my thoughts by telling them basically the reality of the situation and that i am ok. I acknowledge that they are there but I put them in the corner of my mind and forget about them and distract myself.
wildghostmemories
October 9th, 2018 2:59am
You don't have to stop them, sometimes they just happen and as scary as they are they're just thoughts. Once they're there they just can't be the only type of though inside, reach out to someone in real life, on 7cups, or on a crisis line to talk about the negativity. Another thing you can do is try to do something kind for yourself and not punish yourself for how you are thinking. Your thoughts are a part of you but they don't define who you are as a person. You are more than these difficult thoughts in your mind.
fasterturtlespls
July 12th, 2016 9:54pm
I'm an over-thinker, to stop the negative thoughts I need take a deep breath, count to three and focus on what I can do in the present moment.
Laubfrosch
July 18th, 2017 6:59am
I'm not trying to delete my dark thoughts, I accept it that very moment, that they are there. But then I free myself not FROM them, but WITHIN them. I imagine them like a magnet. I am the positive side, the thoughts are the negative side. They always try to cling to me. I imagine that I grab them and pull them off my mind, so they can float away or even get some distance. I also imagine my thoughts like a parrot, brabbling all day. It's not me who is thinking these thoughts, it's the parrot. And I love him. He needs care and caressing. It's called self-care and self-love. By the way: there are no needs to worry about the past or the future: the past has been long gone and can never return, and the future is yet to be build. All things in the future will ever turn out in another way than you thought of it. So thinking about it and worry is not necessary. All is going to happen as it should be. What counts, is now. That very moment you breathe in. You can't breathe in belatedly, nor in advance. You only can breathe in NOW. This very moment. Now. It's good to know that you are on Earth. You are great. Have a nice day and: Breathe :) If you think too much, you might muss all that colorful beauty that surrounds you :) Be well.
temporarycarla
January 25th, 2016 10:41pm
Do things that you enjoy, it will make you feel better and stop you from having negative thoughts all the time.
WalkinDownRapperBlvd
March 1st, 2016 6:23pm
Always think of something like Christmas. Think about what you want and what you've gotten. Maybe even who you wanna see or will.
DaughterofChrist
May 31st, 2016 12:25am
I struggled with this for quite some time. I still do. Try your best to engage your mind in the physical. Feel a fabric and really think about it, feel the weight of gravity on your body. In my opinion, most of the time, what happens physically is much more enticing to the senses than mental.
Anonymous
June 23rd, 2015 8:10am
What I did and still do is doing things that I enjoy, e.g.: reading encouragement quotes, talking to my best friends, watching movies, etc
Anonymous
September 12th, 2016 3:35pm
You can't. You have to find ways to channel it. Distract your mind by doing art (coloring. drawing, painting).
Therainbowstartswithacloud27
March 2nd, 2021 8:46am
You should start by sitting down in a space where you feel comfortable and taking deep breaths. Once you start feeling a little better, try focusing your thoughts on what is happening in your life that is good and helps you feel happy emotions. Try listing them one by one and making a list in your mind and try feeling thankfulness and appreciation to life. Keep taking deep breaths and listing things and when you feel like you've done enough to make you feel okay. Stop for a moment and take more deep breaths while listening and accepting all your feelings and surroundings. Then you can start your day anew.
kenzolena
May 31st, 2022 12:17pm
You could listen to some happy music or to some music you can dance or something you can sing to. You can for example draw or talk/call with someone also playing games could help to distract you mind, maybe call with someone you trust for hours and soeak about what is bithering you if it entered your mind. In those situations please do something you love because that can distravt your mind easier then doing something you hate. Or hug someone or your dog to feel loved and safe that could also help you feeling better when you are feeling sad
giggleMermaid173
November 8th, 2021 11:36am
We generally think these negative thoughts are like a part of our struggling in life. But, I can stop it from entering my mind by keeping myself busy in things which I am interested or by doing which I feel joyful and energetic. I usually feel that whenever I make some distance from my work or study, there are lot many thoughts come around in my mind that are related to my career, financial problems, my dreams and family. And that issues make me think of the negative side of my life that I can't do anything about, or I'm not able to grow from there, I can't get back to those days where I was doing many things to build my skills . So for me, how to stay away from negative thoughts is to keep myself busy.
Anonymous
December 31st, 2014 3:56pm
I like to do exercise, it's the best for stopping bad thoughts, also hug my dog or think about something that makes me really happy.
SoulfulSam
November 20th, 2017 3:29pm
To stop negative thoughts you need to think positive. Sometimes you might even want to face those negative thoughts and try your best to eliminate them.
Anonymous
March 18th, 2017 11:15am
When you start having bad thought, write each one on a paper. Then you have to annotate one possitive thought for each negative one. Try to look for the possitive side of every bad thought. The objetive is transform little by little this type of thoughts in possitive. By tthe you will can make this without writing in a paper :)