Written by Ashwina Gohil

I am certain that at some point in our lives we have all felt negative or behaved in a negative way. It is part and parcel of the complex and at times convoluted arena of being human. We all feel it from time to time and we all want to find ways of moving out of that state of mind. As we are all so distinctly individual and multi faceted, a strategy that suits one of us is not going to suit someone else. So what are some of the ways in which we can overcome negativity in some of its forms?

Identify Your Belief

First we need to identify what the negative thought you are having is. Is it a feeling of unworthiness, lack of joy in your life, not feeling connected to life or people, lacking purpose, or perhaps situations in your life that have not worked out the way that you would have like it to? Once we have identified that negative thought or belief we need to be willing to tackle it head on and transform it to a more pleasant and positive thought. Negativity in itself feels stagnant, stale and stoic. It can feel like you are walking through thick mud at times. Stay in it for too long and it can lead to all sorts of health issues. So how do we remove ourselves from a negative mindset and move it into a more positive one? There are various strategies that have been researched and developed over the years in our quest to bring more positivity into our lives.

One of the key light bulb moments to shifting our mindsets is understanding that the way we think is what we ultimately draw into our lives. No longer is the law of attraction classed as mumbo jumbo but a concept that has valid scientific research behind it.The law of attraction states what you think is,what you attract and become in your life. So if you are coming from a positive mindset and expecting only good to come to you then life becomes a reflection of those thoughts and feelings. Likewise if you are regularly accepting negative self talk about yourself, others and your environment this will become a self fulfilling prophecy where situations and circumstances you don’t want start manifesting in your life. Easier said than done, how do we actually avoid or overcome this negative mindset?

Affirmations

One of the tried and tested methods is affirmations. Affirmations are proclamations to your self and the world of a more positive state of mind and this shifts your mindset to something more open, positive and flowing. An affirmation could be something like, “I choose to shift my mindset to a more positive, loving state each and every day” or “I easily and effortlessly maneuver my mind to a positive state of being.”

Perhaps taking an internal look at your life is more your cup of chai to overcoming these negative thoughts. By simply being grateful for what you do have, rather than focus on what you don’t have.We in the Western world are very fortunate to have all the mod cons of life and yet we are finding that we are still yearning for something more than what we have. From the moment you wake up, try and think of three or more positive things in your life. I can be something small like the comfortable bed you are lying in, or the clean running water you have each day to shower in. Each time you feel your mind wandering to the dark side, try and find something you are grateful for in your life and see how that shifts your thought process to another gear.

Meditation and Exercise

Sometimes we need to take a more proactive approach to changing our mindsets like exercising and meditating. Vast amounts of research has been accumulated on how the brain expands and transforms once we meditate. Well known celebrities and highly successful entrepreneurs rave about the benefits of meditation and how their lives have changed for the better as a result of meditating on a regularly basis. Exercise releases serotonin and endorphins in your brain that raise your mood allowing you to be more positive and proactive in your life. In may also help to find an activity you love and feel connected to.

Finally by training yourself to overcome these negative beliefs you have about yourself and the world at large can only go one way, and that is up. After all when you are happier and feeling more positive in yourself and your thought process, life around you begins to transform too, and that can be wonderful for you and your loved ones.