7 Tips to Control Pessimistic Thoughts

Pessimistic thinking is one of the most difficult things to control but it is an important factor of living a happier, more positive life.

The average person has thousands of thoughts every second, some of which are conscious self-inflicted ideas, and others that play silently in the background of our subconscious mind. Many of these thoughts are immersed in negativity, whether we are conscious of it or not.

The reason negative thinking is so dangerous to our lives is because many of these thoughts happen deep inside our mind where we are unable to read, reach or even control them on a conscious level.

The most common pessimistic thinking mistake:

 The 'more realistic' proclamation is a favourite of cynics everywhere. And in a way they are right. But only because thinking negatively causes us not to try - or if we do try, to give up sooner - so the negativity itself influences results. Self-fulfilling prophecies really do happen. Research has even found that what we believe about our health can have more bearing on how long we live than our actual health.

So, negative thoughts can plague us even when things seem to be going well: "It's too good to last!" My first tip has to do with how negative thinking distorts perception.

Helpful Tips to Control pessimistic Thinking:

Stop and Take Staple:

·         Every once in a while we all need to stop and take stock of the things that take up time and space in our lives.

·          These things can be material items, emotional baggage or physical people, the point is to take a look at all the things that surround your daily life and assess whether they have a place there or not.

·         If they don’t offer you some form of positivity then cut them out of your life (people, objects and emotions) and if they do provide some sort of positive purpose, allow them to bring more by opening up to them and allowing them in deeper and more openly.

Surround yourself with positive people:

·         Have you ever heard the saying, "birds of a feather flock together"? It is the same with both positive and negative people.

·         If your current friends do nothing but tear others down, complain, and generally be negative, it is going to be very difficult for you to get over being negative in that environment. You may, very well, need to make some new friends.

Focus On Your Feelings:

·         The way we feel physically can be an excellent indicator of our thoughts. You may not be able to pay attention to every thought that passes through your mind, but chances are you will be able to pay attention to how you are feeling.

·         Make an effort to stop regularly throughout the day and assess the way you are ‘feeling‘, if you find that you are physically reflecting sadness, anger or frustration, take a moment to think about something that changes the way you feel. 

Control What You Can:

·         One lesson every person should learn is that “You cannot control other people’s actions, you can only control your reaction to those actions.” Embracing this lesson will make a huge difference in your overall well-being.

·         Write it down and post it where you will see it regularly if you must. Create a poster to hang at your desk, or write it in lipstick on your bathroom mirror. Live it and accept it as fact.

Re-Vamp Your Vocabulary:

·         The words we speak have a huge impact on our emotions.

·         Words like ‘should’, ‘could’ and ‘might’ are indicators of negative thinking and should be erased from your vocabulary, or reduced in the very least.

·         Each phrase you speak should resonate positivity and indicate some sort of action in the ‘now.’

Replace to Erase:

·         For each negative thought you notice, replace it with a positive one.

·         This will not rid you of all your negative thoughts instantly but what it will do is create a habit over time.

·         By replacing negative thoughts with positive ones you are telling your mind (both conscious and subconscious) that negative thoughts are unacceptable.

Inspire Happiness:

·         One of the simplest ways to increase the amount of positive in your life is to surround yourself with things that inspire positive.

·         This applies to all areas of your life. Seek out art that makes you feel good, tack up inspiring quotes that inspire positivity, and surround yourself with people who have a positive outlook.