When you catch yourself entertaining negative thoughts lately, do not let yourself fall into the trap of negative thinking. Do not let your negative thoughts manipulate and take control over you. Rather, learn how to direct these intrusive thoughts and transform them into positive ones. The habit of negative thinking can still be changed and overcome if you take a conscious effort to gradually get rid of it.

Just as there many ways to develop negative thinking, there are also numerous ways to conquer it. You cannot just settle for being a person having a reputation as a negative thinker or a pessimist. It just makes life more miserable than how it already is when you simply manifest patterns of intrusive and distressful thoughts.

Develop a Paradigm Shift

A paradigm shift, according to the famous Stephen Covey, is a transition in the general perception of how a person views the world, focusing more on the brighter and more positive aspect instead of the negatives. You might think that this is no simple process to do. The good news is that a paradigm shift takes simple steps and techniques for a change to take place. The first thing to do is to condition the mind that you can become a better person when it comes to the way you think. You can also become one of those optimists, the people who you look up to and admire for having such positive mental attitudes and perceptions in life. Then, the rest of the steps to developing a paradigm shift will become easier once you have conditioned the mind properly.

Here are a few ways to build a paradigm shift:

• Practice using positive self-talk through affirmative statements and notice the difference it makes.
• Smile most of the time, even if the going sometimes gets tough. Why allow problems to create wrinkles on your face when you can still put on a smile and believe that there is a solution to it?
• List down the challenges and problems you are currently going through, and then come up with corresponding possible solutions to it.
• Be around positive people most of the time. Positivity, just like negativity, is contagious and can transform others.
• Learn how to manage your emotions well. Minimize emotional leakage and channel your feelings properly according to the situation.
• Be a risk-taker and not a quitter. Never say no to challenges. Rather, face them with courage and determination that you will overcome it soon. Only then will you find out if your efforts are worth it or not. If things fail, at least be happy that you gave it a try.

Engage in Healthy Well-Being Activities

A positive change in your lifestyle contributes to eliminating the habit of negative thinking. One of the best ways to show love for one’s self is to engage in activities promoting a healthy well-being. It would follow that your view of life will also be a positive one. The following are some easy ways to develop a positive and healthy lifestyle:

• Make sure to have a regular exercise program. It does not only relax the muscles and energize the body, it also rejuvenates the mind.
• Always get a good sleep.
• Drink plenty of clean water and watch a healthy food diet.
• Listen to feel-good music.
• Treat yourself to a soothing massage or a nice movie.
• Spend quality time with friends.
• Reconnect with nature.

Learn How to be Grateful

Being thankful all the time for every small and big accomplishment is a wonderful habit to develop. Do not miss the chance to thank the people who have helped you in a way. Once you get used to the value of gratitude, you feel joy in the heart and satisfaction for having thanked people and for being thanked for. Another good change is that you eliminate the feeling of envy and resentment in life, which makes it easy for you to bounce back from any hint of negativity. In time, you will transform into a positive thinker and an optimist. This will exude towards others and the chain follows to those you deal with.