9 Ways to Prevent Negative Thinking

Due to personality traits and past experiences, everyone has a different perspective on life.

Due to personality traits and past experiences, everyone’s outlook on life is unique. According to Anadolu Health Center’s Specialist Psychologist Ezgi Dokuzlu, "If we focus on and train our minds to think positively, we will be able to cope with negative thoughts more easily in the future, which leads to being happier, less anxious, and more peaceful over time." Specialist Psychologist Ezgi Dokuzlu shared tips on how to prevent negative thinking...

An event that is considered very bad and unacceptable for one person might be seen as normal and ordinary by another. Sometimes, situations can make us feel helpless. This feeling may not end there; it may occupy our minds for weeks and even become a part of our lives. To escape it, we might look for a way out, or often choose to ignore the thoughts in order to feel better, postponing the problem. Neither postponing nor giving in to the problem, which damages our quality of life, is the right choice. When faced with negative thoughts, we should first believe that we can solve this problem and create a simple, general plan outline for the solution. Let’s remember that the first step in overcoming difficulties is believing in ourselves.

Negative Thoughts in the Mind Also Affect Health

Being prone to negative thoughts may be related to the amount of certain substances in the brain called neurotransmitters, or on the contrary, constantly being exposed to these thoughts or a certain lifestyle may negatively affect brain chemistry. In other words, those abstract thoughts in our minds can concretely impact our health. Therefore, we should not underestimate the effects of negative thoughts. Without letting all the negative thoughts, anxieties, fears, and pessimism take over us, we should take control of our fears and anxieties. When we feel helpless and stuck, we can try to look at the situation from a positive perspective and maintain our power over the problem. Most importantly, to fight negative thoughts, we must get to know ourselves in all aspects.

Specialist Psychologist Ezgi Dokuzlu explained 9 ways to prevent negative thinking:

Do not let negative thoughts take over you.
Anxious and negative thoughts can make you feel helpless and hopeless. Just like when you’re excited or scared, your heart races, your face turns red, and your hands sweat, these negative thoughts can have a similar negative effect on your health. Therefore, do not let negative thoughts ruin your quality of life; make peace with them.

Identify and define the negative thoughts in your mind.
Think about the source of these thoughts and why they make you feel bad. Why are they occupying your mind?

Focus on today rather than planning for a negative outcome.
Think about the situation you’re in right now. The future may not always unfold as planned, and excessive anxiety can steal from your present.

Get to know yourself.
You must know what makes you feel bad. Look back at how you dealt with negativity in the past. This will help you get to know yourself better and make it easier to cope with negative thoughts.

Be flexible about the future.
No matter how much you plan, some positive or negative events you didn’t anticipate may occur. Therefore, avoid very rigid, fixed plans.

Do not blame yourself.
Like everyone else, you may have made mistakes in the past. However, this does not mean that mistakes from the past will repeat in the future. You are now wiser and more experienced, so remember that.

Only benefit from regret; do not carry it in your mind.
Regret helps us understand our mistakes and learn lessons, but too much of it leads to carrying unnecessary negative thoughts as a burden in our lives.

Avoid using words like “I wish,” “What if,” “What if it happens, what if it doesn’t,” or “Never.”

Respect your decisions and avoid adapting others' opinions to your life.
If you know yourself well enough, you are the best person to understand what is right for you.