5 Strategies to Overcome Negative Thinking and Transform Your Life for the Better

Good morning, lovely dreamers, and welcome to 2023, and another blog post here on Dreaming of Butterflies! Let’s make this year our best yet, shall we?

In today’s article, we will explore what negative thoughts are and how they can affect our lives. We will also discuss some techniques for dealing with negativity and overcoming negative thinking.

Related:

5 Must-Have Ingredients of your Daily Self-Care Routine

How to beat procrastination – can it be done?

5+ Secrets of Making your Vision Board Actually Work

And we’re choosing this article to start 2023 with, because, well, this year began with a few big changes for us.

1. Andy finally decided to quit his soul-sucking job and focus on his own path as an XR developer
2. We expanded our little family with a few fishies and a beautiful tank
3. I started my knee recovery and weight loss journey
4. We resumed working on remodelling our apartment
5. We’re getting used to both of us working from home (and this is a HUGE one for us)

Now, because of all these changes, fear crept in for a second, and there was a moment of “Oh shit! What are we going to do? How are we going to live & have money?”... 

As Andy quit his job, and we don’t have his steady income stream coming in every month anymore, it seems like everything is in the air. The web-dev business is not as steady as we would want it to be, and because last October we finally got married,  we weren’t as focused on the blog and businesses as we should have been, and now we’re in a “semi-dead” zone.

And as we know from Yoda, “Fear is the path to the Dark Side …” so we were challenged to not give in, even if it’s very tempting.

And what do we do when we’re going through something, and we learn from it?

Yep, exactly - we blog about it. And that’s how this article was truly born. So let’s learn to identify negative thinking and learn how to deal with this, one day at a time.

But enough with the chit-chatting! Let’s get to it!

How to Deal with Negative Thoughts & Live a Happier Life

Negative thinking can be a major obstacle to personal growth and personal and professional success. It can lead to feelings of hopelessness, low self-esteem, and depression.

Fortunately, there are strategies that you can use to overcome negative thinking and regain control of your life. 

Cognitive behaviour therapy, self-talk strategies, positive affirmations, and reframing your thought processes are just a few of the tools that you can use in order to start seeing the world in a more positive light.

You just need to find that one thing (or more than one) that works for you. 

Here are the ones we use, that helped us: 

Identifying your unhelpful thinking patterns and challenging them

We all have our own thought patterns that can be unhelpful when it comes to our mental health and well-being. Recognizing these negative thoughts and identifying the patterns that cause them is an important step in challenging them.

It’s not easy to recognize and challenge unhelpful thinking patterns, but it’s a necessary part of taking better care of our mental health. By understanding the thought processes behind our negative thoughts, we can begin to take control of them and make positive changes in our lives.

Simply think of when you have these thoughts. What happened in your life that made you go there? Is it because of an isolated event, or is it happening again and again because of social influence? 

Be your own Sherlock Holmes and identify the killer, so you know who you are dealing with. 

Try these mindfulness techniques and stress reduction exercises to help you combat negativity

In today's hectic world, it can be difficult to stay positive and motivated. Fortunately, there are a number of mindfulness techniques and relaxation exercises that can help us to reduce stress and combat negativity. 

Mindfulness meditation techniques have been found to be particularly helpful in promoting positive thinking and reducing stress levels. 

Similarly, relaxation exercises such as deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, yoga, and tai chi have also been found to be effective at reducing stress levels. 

By incorporating these mindfulness techniques and relaxation exercises into your daily routine you can help yourself stay positive and motivated even during challenging times.

Embrace the negativity

This might sound counterintuitive, but several studies show that people who accept their negativity and allow themselves 10 minutes per day to go dark and get it all out, actually have a better, happier life because of this.

That 10-minute window of darkness is perfect for helping you deal with whatever you’re going through, as it is a space destined to get you to let it all out - no matter how rough it is. 

This also prevents you from falling into another trap, the toxic positivity one, as it helps you keep a sort of balance between light and dark.

Fun fact: This is actually one of our preferred ways of dealing with life on bad days.

Share your thoughts with others

A social support network and regular self-care practices can help you build resilience and combat negative thoughts. Don't hesitate to ask for additional help and guidance from family/friends or mental health professionals when needed.

Building resilience and combating negative thoughts can be a difficult task, and if you’re an introvert it can be quite tough. 

But it is important to remember that you are not alone in this journey, and having a social support network and regular self-care practices, they will help you along the way.

Having people to talk to and share your struggles with can be incredibly beneficial. 

Having someone who understands what you’re going through can provide comfort, encouragement, and validation. When needed, don't hesitate to reach out for help from friends or professionals. It's important to remember that it's ok to ask for help when facing difficult times.

Additionally, engaging in regular self-care activities such as exercise, journaling, or meditation can help you manage stress levels while also improving your overall well-being.

Exercise your way to better mental health

Physical and mental health are closely linked. Exercise has been proven to be beneficial for both physical and mental well-being. 

Studies have shown that regular physical activity can help reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, as well as improve overall mood. In addition, exercise can help improve sleep quality, boost energy levels, and increase self-esteem.

Several different types of exercises can be used to improve mental health, including walking, cycling, yoga and meditation, and even aerobics and strength training. 

Find the one exercise that you can do that is a little bit challenging, but not as much as to keep you from being consistent with it. 

If you’ve already subscribed to our newsletter, then you know how much we LOVE the new standing bike that we got after the wedding to help out with my knee recovery. Can’t recommend this one enough.

So remember: Improving yourself is a journey, that has many forms. Whatever your dream may be, just be patient with yourself, but don’t forget that consistency is the key to seeing that dream come true. 

Aaaaand that’s all for today, lovely dreamers! 

We hope you enjoyed our article for today, and if you did, or if it helped you in any way, please make sure to share it, pin it, and tweet it! We would surely appreciate it!

QOTD: How do you deal with your negative thoughts? Share your ideas!