Skip to main content Skip to bottom nav

How do I prevent negative thinking?

264 Answers
Last Updated: 06/15/2022 at 1:06am
How do I prevent negative thinking?
1 Tip to Feel Better
United States
Moderated by

Evelyn Coker, MSW, LCSW

Clinical Social Work/Therapist

I am down to earth and enjoy working with all clients. I have a special passion to support teen girls and women. My work is nonjudgmental and provides a safe space to grow.

Top Rated Answers
Anonymous
March 10th, 2018 10:12pm
It is an exercise: train yourself to be rational and look for the positive/realistic side in everything. Our minds can be deceiving, they can make things look way more serious than they are. It might be a long process, but it is worth it.
Forceofecho
March 10th, 2018 10:29pm
Positive thinking. Taking up hobbies and talking with frie d's and family, keeping busy and taking up other different hobbies and meeting friends.
Anonymous
March 12th, 2018 11:04am
Meditation is what I do personally. Everyday before I go to sleep, I try to reflect upon things that I did that day and try to think of all the emotions I have felt. I try to look myself from a 3rd person perspective which help me to feel less anger and sadness and help me to feel more grateful than before.
MotherWillow93
March 14th, 2018 5:44pm
It is a habit that one can change over time by reading positive quotes. Start saying optimistic things to yourself. Keep a journal of at least 3 things you are thankful for each day. If you do this for a month or so and continue to keep it up, your mind will naturally change its thought process to a more positive one.
dottywine
March 23rd, 2018 12:18am
There is something in cognitive behavior therapy called faulty thinking. It's the idea that sometimes the thoughts we have in our head is not true. You can google this and learn the different types. Whenever you realize you're having a negative thought, ask yourself if it falls into one of the faulty thinking categories. Naming your thoughts helps you gain contorl.
Anonymous
March 28th, 2018 2:23pm
The best way to prevent negative thinking is to always think positively in every aspects in life - it really helps a lot.
Rubyzoisite
March 30th, 2018 7:31pm
Unfortunately, negative thinking is part of life and its something that will happen regardless of how hard we try to not think that way. The best way to deal with negative thinking is by 'managing' them. Managing those feelings and thought and figuring out where those feelings/thoughts come from really helps improve your overall head space compared to attempting to block off those feelings and thoughts. One of the best things you can do for yourself is accept that these thoughts and feelings are part of life and work with them and learn about them. When you start going down the road of thinking these things; stop and take a deep breath. Ask yourself where do these thoughts and feelings come from? what triggers these thoughts and feelings? The more you focus on dissecting these thoughts and feelings, the more you become aware of them and when you are aware of the negative thoughts, the triggers behind them and how they 'work' the more you are able to lessen the effect they have on you and prevent them to go farther than they do in your life now.
Apollosdaughter
April 6th, 2018 1:11pm
Ignore them the negative thoughts like the strangers around you, or passing clouds or maybe those ants near your house. And do meditation. Meditation can solve all your problems. Talk to God and pray to him. If not that thenk Talk to your parents about it, they'll help you, or your well wishers. And If not them go out and play with kids in the park and ask them or talk to them politely, you'll get the answer. Trust yourself and tell when you were a child, did you surrounded yourself with negativity? No, isn't it. Then be like a child and try to understand your true nature.
ladyRiver09
April 7th, 2018 5:14am
You can prevent negative thinking by focusing on the positive things that's happening in your life.
Zealous
April 7th, 2018 5:48am
Positive thinking! It's literally that simple - just keep replacing every negative prompt with a positive idea, and soon it'll be automatic. Fight those ANTs! (automatic negative thoughts)
BlissfulUnicorns48
April 8th, 2018 1:49am
Just take a deep breath and think of one think you're thankful for in life. This is what I do and it helps me a lot
justanirishchloe
April 12th, 2018 2:07pm
One of the best ways to do this is doing a simple guided mediation for just 10 minutes to start the day! it may sound strange but it's not a sit down crossed- legged and repeating "omm" kind of thing! You just sit and simply listen and you'll come out the other side feeling so at peace! Also try to be more aware of your thinking, if you think negatively things will start to go or seem like they're going negatively. It sounds quite simple I guess but just being aware of how you think can give you so much more control over those thoughts!
Anonymous
April 14th, 2018 4:06pm
The more you think about it, the more it’ll happen. Do things you love, and explore the world. Nothing will be perfect, but you’ll get distracted, and hopefully you will be able to control thinking negatively.
Anonymous
May 13th, 2018 10:16am
Just think about the worst thing that could ever happen to you. This probably hasn't happened to you therefore you can go on knowing that life is good because it hasn't happened (and most likely will never happen). It's that whole 'live life to the fullest' notion. This may work for you but it may not.
Anonymous
May 13th, 2018 9:12pm
Look on the bright side of the situation and reason with yourself for example. “I’m super nervous for this test I’m totally gonna fail.” But “just because I’m nervous doesn’t mean I’ll fail I studied last night so I have hope!”
Anonymous
May 17th, 2018 8:15am
Listen to happy music, read a good book, pet an animal, go for a walk, exercise, sing, dance, do what you love
Anonymous
May 20th, 2018 1:29pm
Positive thinking takes time and dedication. Like any craft, the more repetition you give it, the stronger it becomes.
Connordavis152
May 23rd, 2018 8:56pm
talk to a good friend and try and have a positive conversation to take my mind off of it or do something i enjoy e.g. sports
Anonymous
May 30th, 2018 3:32pm
Shift your mindset when a negative thought comes. For example, when you experince a negative thought, change that thought to a positive one. Eliminate negative people from your circle. Practice saying positive affirmations to yourself. Surround yourself with positive people. Reach out to a counselor or listener for support.
MintedTea
June 1st, 2018 12:47am
The best thing you can really do is surround yourself with people and things that make you happy. Maybe even doing something you enjoy to do, stay away from technology for a while so that you're not comparing yourself to other people. Environment is very important when it comes to when your mind choosing between negative and positive thinking.
Mixdrinks4feelings
June 2nd, 2018 6:08am
You can not prevent Negative thoughts from entering your mind unless your change your vision. The way you see life decides your thoughts. Change in the way of thinking lasts much longer than forcing your mind to see and think only positive. In fact no negative thoughts leads to dumbness and you need to have a balanced vision.
Caitlyn7COT
June 8th, 2018 2:07pm
I find that in order to prevent negative thinking, it's important to recognize when these kind of thoughts are beginning - and having the will to basically say "Stop" to yourself.
Anonymous
June 16th, 2018 5:10am
Try practicing activities/habits that can help you reduce the negative thinking and promotes positive thinking instead; such as: Yoga, seeing the bright side of things and/or focus on the present.
Anonymous
June 24th, 2018 10:30am
When you open your mind to new things. Think about the opposite of what you feeling right now. Opposite of the negative thoughts. Think about all the things you could achieve.
Caroline1908
June 24th, 2018 4:29pm
When you feel a negative thought coming on, it's best to recognize that thought and be aware of it. Sometimes it helps to write it down and challenge that thought; is it really true? Is there evidence to support it or go against it? In addition, I've also found that reading positive quotes, keeping a gratitude journal, writing, and distracting yourself can be great ways of dealing or even distracting yourself from negative thoughts. Sometimes it can be overwhelming, but remember your worth and that you can ALWAYS get through this.
Anonymous
June 24th, 2018 8:35pm
Negative thinking happens to everyone. Every time a negative thought pops up, replace it with something positive. For example, think of the ocean, a flower, a happy time, a butterfly, etc. Keep doing this over and over again to eradicate the negative feelings. For some, using a rubberband on the wrist trick works, every time you have a negative feeling snap the rubberband against the skin and immediately replace it with a positive thought. This helps train the brain to banish negative thoughts. Also, practicing mindfulness, living in the moment and breathing through negative thoughts and focusing on positive energy may help.
Ana4hear
June 28th, 2018 10:02pm
Be mindful and understand if it’s going to help you or not. Write a diary , positive journal...diary will help to put your thoughts and feelings on paper you will feel relieved. And positive journal will be helpful to see best in you, your surroundings and your life. You have to write 3 things in the positive journal daily.
Olweg
July 1st, 2018 8:39pm
Some exercises can help develop new habits of thinking in a more positive way. Like have a journal to write down daily positives things that happened to you or of which you're proud of. It can be challenging at first, but slowly your brain will take on that new habit and eventually stop focalizing only on negative thinking. Negative thinking about oneself can also be prevented by indulging in meditation and mindfullness, thinking of the situation as it were happening not to you but to a friend (we're more indulgent with friends than with ourselves).. :)
Anonymous
July 7th, 2018 6:44pm
Negative thinking is hard to avoid, but you can find positive things to counter them. Whenever you notice that the bad thoughts are clouding your mind, simply go back to the positive ones (Write them down if you want to). Positive thoughts to most scenarios can make your outlook on things much more positive in the end.
Numinox
July 13th, 2018 7:46am
Focus on what you want to achieve in life. Remember life has it’s pro’s and con’s so listen to the pro’s!