Negative Emotions - How Can They Be Overcome?

The first measure toward controlling negative emotions is: Identify the negative thoughts.

Second: Work on correcting the negative thoughts. If, for instance, you were thinking, 'I never make anything right,' replacement this with, 'I'm just like everyone else; I make many things right, but I make my share of errors too.'

Do not anticipate to experience better immediately after making this rectification (although you may), and do not acquire stuck mentally debating the matter. Just do the avowal and move on to the adjacent step.

The 3rd measure is to work at dismissing the troublesome idea from your mind. Try to force it out as forcefully and confidently as you would the idea of committing a serious crime. While you may be able to make this with strong mental effort, of huge aid in doing so is the 4th step: Get absorbed in something else, something upbuilding.

This is critical because your negative ideas will repeatedly seek to coerce their manner back into your mind. But you have got this advantage: You can only concentrate fully on one thing at a time. You can turn out this to yourself by trying to concentrate totally on two topics at the same time. If your head is already fully occupied with something else, it will be hard for your negative ideas to return.

The manner negative ideas can be replaced by positive 1s is illustrated by Dr. Maxwell Maltz, who states: "When your record player is playing music you don't like, you make not seek to coerce it to make better. You merely change the record being played and the music takes attention of itself. Use the same technique on the 'music' that come ups out of your ain internal machine."

Yes, negative ideas are often too strong to be simply dismissed. They must be forced out by replacement. Put a different "record" on, a positive one. Switch to a different, upbuilding "channel," a different "station," and acquire absorbed in it.

It Will Be Difficult

The above four stairway are easily explained, but how difficult they can be to follow! Therefore, make not be surprised if overcoming negative ideas and emotions is hard for you at first. Expect it to be difficult, but cognize that in clip it will acquire easier.

Take the illustration of Cindy, a instructor who was raised by an alcoholic mother. For old age Cindy suffered with feelings of guiltiness and insecurity. Then she decided to come up to clasps with the problem. What did she do?

Cindy explains: "First Iodine worked to place the specific ideas that caused my negative feelings. Whenever these ideas would surface, I would rethink them, rationally and objectively. Then I would work on making positive ideas flow. I forced my head to dwell on my pupils and how I could assist them. Gradually, it became easier, and I felt more than in control of my feelings."

Yet, you may inquire . . .

Why Is It So Hard?

Are bad habits, such as as overeating or smoking, easily broken? By no means! They are defeat only by conscious, determined attempt over a clip period of time. For many, negative thought is a habit, and like other bad habits, it is a difficult 1 to break.

If negative thought is a wont with you, overcoming it will likely take the same finding that it takes a individual who travels on a diet or one who make up one's minds to discontinue smoking.

The point is, make not give up and make up one's mind to stay depressed because it is easier to make so. Stick with your fighting against negative thinking, even if it intends many calendar months of trial and mistake and perhaps relapse. Stay with it as if you were preparation for an athletic contest. Look to long-term results rather than contiguous satisfaction.