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How do I stop being overwhelmed by negative emotions?

18 Answers
Last Updated: 02/25/2020 at 5:01pm
1 Tip to Feel Better
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Jennifer Patterson, LMFT

Art Therapist

Life can be messy. Sometimes you need a little support to make your way through it. I love to help guide people through their challenges & to find the beauty in our messes.

Top Rated Answers
CocoaSaid
February 13th, 2015 10:12pm
Peace is to chaos as breath is to anxiety. As one expands the other contracts, you can expand your peace the same way you expand your lungs. Breathe deep.
beautifulSunrise69
August 31st, 2015 3:02am
You can stop being overwhelmed by negative emotions by learning to accept the things that cannot be changed. Have the courage to do this and have determination to move on in your life. Let yourself see the positivities ahead.
Listeningwolf1123
February 1st, 2015 1:56pm
Negative emotions can get the best of us. When I find myself being overwhelmed by negative emotions, I find the best thing for me to do it distract myself. Watching tv or playing a game can be a great escape. Sometimes, talking about those negative emotions helps too. And I'm not talking about long-winded therapy sessions. Sometimes just admitting aloud that emotion I am feeling can help. Just saying aloud, "I feel sad...or bad...or frustrated" can help, and I'm not afraid to tell my friends how I'm feeling either.
skittlesnrainbows
February 22nd, 2016 5:01pm
Talk to someone, write them down, talk to a friend it overcomes the negativity. Physical exercise or even dancing helps
Kelleyd83
December 29th, 2015 2:46am
Lie down, put your hand on your heart, say "love" in your mind, and feel the emotions coming and going, like clouds passing through the sky.
Anonymous
April 3rd, 2015 4:58am
When I hear a question like this for some reason I always remember a book I read in the 80's call "What to say when you talk to yourself". In short, it was basically saying that in order for us to be motivated and positive, we have to know what to say to ourselves when we are negative. The truth is emotions are there for a reason and we must understand what caused them before we can fix them. We certainly don't want to turn off our emotions but rather take note and move to a more productive or pleasant ones as we talk through the root causes. Talking to yourself sound silly or even crazy, but it helps to reinforce good things and positive things, just as it can reinforce bad things. Instead of saying "No one like me or wants to be around me." we need to say things like "I really a compassionate person who truly cares for others." Other cliches that come to mind are "Look for the silver lining" or "Look at the bright side" and so on. The most important thing is you feeling good about you, then when those negative emotions try to sneak in, you will have a strong defense in positive reinforcement ready to fight.
Anonymous
January 25th, 2015 3:19pm
Crowd your negative emotions with positive ones! When you have a negative emotion, cancel it out with a positive, even if you don't believe it. One day you will!
Anonymous
August 11th, 2015 12:00pm
By doing thing you like and love most of the time, and stop thinking for a minute. You should also takl with someone or go out more time. And soon enought you will forget.
ReconditeDeity
June 9th, 2015 10:43pm
The best tool I have found at managing emotional stress is meditation. Meditation is really easy to get started with and there are many levels of skill with it. But anyone can start at anytime. There are many guides and videos out there on it too. Meditation also helps in other areas of one's life besides just managing emotions.
greenberyl
August 31st, 2015 6:10pm
Here's an exercise: Every time you find yourself thinking a negative thought, find some way to make it positive. For example, if you're thinking, "Ahh school is starting soon :(" just consciously change it to "I'm excited to go to school and be able to learn new things and see all my friends again". Even if you don't believe, finding the good things in the bad makes your life better as a whole. Soon, you'll find that negative emotions rise up a lot less and you think more positively.
Sudoki
December 22nd, 2015 7:56am
Most* negative emotions are instant reactions to situations that arise. Once you realize most of these emotions are temporary and able to be worked through, you will be able to control them and not be so overwhelmed.
Greatlistener87
- Expert in Managing Emotions
June 21st, 2016 8:22am
Negative emotions is like a trigger, when u feel down and negative it will start triggering all the negative thoughts that you can possibly think of. When there is even a single thought of negativity try turning it into a positive thought rather than dwelling with it. If you dwell with 1 the rest will just trigger after.
blueSummer1941
June 21st, 2016 3:46pm
You must try to focus on the positive, not the negative. Yes negative things happen but in order for us to live out our lives we have to take the good with the bad. Try doing things everyday for YOU that you love and make you happy. Yoga is wonderful to calm the mind and bring peace into your life, and meditating.
avocadoallyson
February 6th, 2017 12:29am
Negative emotions are difficult to deal with and combatting them is unique for every individual. I like to journal and write down at least one positive thing every day. Another good way to combat negative emotions is to list five things you are grateful for.
squishycinnamonrolls
February 27th, 2017 12:05am
It may not help everyone, but for me, I used to sit down and write about it the good traits about that topic. At the end of the day, you have the power to control and react to that negative emotion, because they have no power over you.
Anonymous
November 20th, 2017 2:12am
Maybe you could try to do something that takes your mind off the negative emotions. Like meditating or listening to happy music?
Mindbodysoul88
June 12th, 2018 11:17am
Prayer, meditation and also stay busy. Do want you love to do, what makes you happy. Talk to a trusted friend
CourageousHeart1701
February 25th, 2020 5:01pm
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) are two commonly applied techniques for dealing with overwhelming negative emotions. A therapist who is trained in one or both of these methods could act like a coach to help train you on applying them to your life. If that is not currently an option for you, I would recommend researching one or both to find a good starting place. I have found both of them to be an extremely helpful way to challenge my negative thoughts, identify patterns of thoughts and behavior that bring my mood down, and help myself feel better when I get into a negative spiral.