Exercises to Help You Combat Negative Thinking:

• Embrace Meditation – Meditation can be an excellent outlet for stress and negativity. When most people think of meditation they picture Buddhist Monks sitting silently for hours on end, this form of meditation takes amazing discipline and is not realistic for most lifestyles. Meditation does not have to take up a large amount of time, and can usually be accomplished in any place and adjusted to fit every schedule. The basis purpose of meditation is to relax your mind and body, and allow positivity into your life. For the purpose of this exercise I suggest simply finding a quiet place that is free of distractions and focusing on your breathing. Clear your mind of all thoughts and allow your body to relax. Once you feel relaxed and your mind is clear begin to think about positive things that make you feel good. Perhaps you can think about all the things you are grateful for, goals you hope to achieve or things you like about yourself. The main goal is to get your mind relax and tuned into the positive aspects of life so it can stay in that state for more extended periods. There are many forms of meditation and you can find excellent resources online, experiment and explore the different options to find what works best for you. There is no wrong way to meditate, as long as you accomplish relaxation you are on the right track. How do you meditate? What have you found works best for you?
• Utilize Affirmations – The popularity of positive affirmations has greatly increased since the release of the book “The Secret” and the proven results of this exercise are extraordinary. The use of affirmations is a basic concept that can have a huge impact on your overall well-being. To utilize this tool you simply choose (there are thousands of positive affirmations available online) or create a positive statement (the key is that this statement is set in the “now” and promotes a positive goal/outlook) and repeat it daily until you feel the effects. You don’t need to sit and chant this phrase over and over, simply stating it at the start of your day, or writing it down and positing it where you will see it can often be sufficient. Some examples of useful affirmations are: “I rejoice in the love I encounter everyday.” “I choose to make positive healthy choices for myself.” “I am my own unique self – special, creative and wonderful.” You get the idea, state whatever it is as being true right now. You can create affirmations that remind you of how wonderful you are, or that push you to achieve a certain goal, the options are endless and the sky is the limit. If you can imagine it in a positive way you can use it as an affirmation. What positive affirmations do you use? How do you work affirmations into your daily routine? Consider starting a collection of affirmations that ‘speak’ to you so you can refer back to them and utilize them as needed.
• Get Creative – You can easily use your natural creativity to harness the power of positive thinking. One of my favorite projects to promote positivity in my life is through creating a vision board. Get yourself a large piece of paper, or a picture frame, and begin gathering words, pictures and items that inspire positive thoughts for you. Take these items and arrange them in this frame or on the piece of paper in a sort of collage. The outcome does not need to make sense to anyone but you so don’t worry about pattern or style, the aim is to create a collection of things that make you feel good. You can use this craft as a simple reminder of positive thinking or as a way to focus on your goals. There is a huge database of vision board ideas online that may be useful, or simply do what feels ‘right’ to you. Once you have completed this exercise hang the finished product somewhere you will see it everyday such as, your bedroom, kitchen or by the front door. It will serve as a reminder of all the things that make you happy and will promote positivity each day. Have you ever created a vision board? How did you do it? What was the result?
• Make a List – Lists are a fantastic way of emphasizing things that are important to you. You can create lists of anything, things you are grateful for, things you want to achieve, your favorite songs, inspiring quotes or positive affirmations. Always be sure that you make a list positive, never list the things that you don’t want or you run the risk of drawing attention to those things and bringing more of them into your life. For example: If you are hoping to find a mate create a list of all the attributes you do want in a partner not a list of the things you don’t. By listing positive things you are calling attention to them and thus inviting them into your life. Make lists of anything that makes you feel good, or reminds you of the positive aspects of life. What kind of positive things can you list?
• Let It Out – Another excellent way to rid yourself of negativity is to journal. Using a journal will allow you to release your negative thoughts without consequence. Get yourself a notebook or start a file on your computer where you can freely write your thoughts down. Vent, complain or share your dreams here without holding back. The only thing you should aim for when using your journal is to end each entry with a positive thought as not to hold on to your negative feelings. If you have written an entry complaining about your job end it with a positive thought such as, something you are looking forward to this weekend, a great co-worker that made you feel good or even a quote that makes you smile. Never close your book with negativity lurking in your mind or you could end up staying focused on that negative thought throughout the rest of your day and cause more unintentionally. Do you journal? How does it help you?
• Wake-up Aware – One of the easiest and most effective ways to bring positivity into your life is to start your day off on a positive note. One way of accomplishing this is to take a moment when you first wake-up to think of something be thankful for that day or something positive that you hope to accomplish. Every morning I wake-up and think of something that I can be thankful for that day e.g. my health, my family, etc. and something that I hope to accomplish that day e.g. Today I will spend some quality time with my children. It starts my day on a positive note and helps me get motivated for the tasks ahead. You may choose to do this simply by thinking about the things you have to be thankful for, or by taking a moment to write them down. You may also choose to think/list other things such as, things you like about yourself, a positive affirmation, a happy thought for the day, etc. This is also a great exercise for the evening before you lay down to sleep. What is your morning routine? Does it promote positive thinking? How can you bring more positivity to the start of your day?

Ridding your life of negative thinking is difficult to achieve and takes a great deal of personal effort, but the rewards are worth the time and energy it takes. Positivity is contagious and attracts more positive people, thoughts and things into your life. Seek out ways to allow positive energy into your mind and pay close attention to the thoughts you are thinking throughout the day. Turn around negativity when you notice it, and aim to infuse positivity on a regular basis to override the negative thoughts you are not aware of. The more positive thoughts you think consciously, the less negative thoughts your mind will create over time. The goal of living a happier, more positive life is a life-long journey, but paying attention to your thoughts, feelings and reactions is a huge step in the right direction. Seek out ways to feel good and find things that make you happy.