Learning to stop negative thinking is not easy to do. After all, many of us believe all of the negative thoughts that come into our mind, and can’t see a way that we’ll ever change the way we look at the world. However, there are ways to change, and this article will let you know the basics of how this is possible.

Why Am I So Negative?

The first step to changing is to ask yourself honestly why you think these thoughts. Many of us believe that our negative thoughts really are true. So, to stop negative thinking, you don’t have to feel bad about the thoughts – you just have to start recognising them.

The Different Types of Negative Thought

Learning to recognise the type of negative thoughts you have is a great way of starting to stop, and they will usually fall into one of the following categories.

Filtering: Means when you ignore all the positives until you’ve only got the negative aspects in your mind.

Polarizing: This is when you see everything as either black or white and don’t see anything inbetween.

Personalizing: This means that, even though something wasn’t under your control, you still blame yourself for it.

Catastrophizing: You always expect the worse and even avoid doing things because you think bad things will happen.

The Signs of Negativity

The main reason why it’s so difficult to stop negative thinking is that it’s all around you. Chances are that other people, as well as the media, have started to create these thoughts within you, which you have then seen as normal. It’s become like a habit, but recognizing the signs puts you on the first step to becoming more positive. So if you really don’t think that change is possible – think again! As you can see, there is a logical flow behind your thoughts, and it just takes some work to break that flow.

Katherine Caren is a writer who has struggled with negative thinking, stress and health problems for much of her life. She recently decided that happiness really is a choice, and is sharing her journey on how to think positive, using positive self talk and other methods.

• 12 Strategies to Stop Negative Thoughts
• Positive Affirmations can Help You Manage Stress and Maintain a Can Do, Optimistic Attitude
• 5 Steps to the Successful Use of Positive Thinking Affirmations
• Use Mind Over Matter To Change Your Life
• The Law of Attraction and A Passion for Success