Your inner thoughts can have a serious impact on your state of mind. If you see the world through a darkened lens, that negative way of thinking can quickly become a way of life.
When I tell people that I used to be the queen of negativity, they find it hard to believe. I’ve since adopted a more positive outlook on life, which I talk about in episode 261 of the podcast, My Personal Seven-Year Transformation.
Nowadays, thinking positively comes easily to me. I like to think about negative thoughts as weeds in our minds. Weeds that need to be pulled out from the roots. If the garden of your mind has become overgrown with persistent weeds that you can’t clear, it’s time to tackle the root of the problem.
When I gave myself the quest to declutter my negative thoughts, I did three things. First, I realized how negative I was. Second, I replaced anything negative in my life with a positive difference. And finally, I eliminated all the ways that negativity was coming into my life.
In this episode, I reveal the steps you can take to overcome your negative mindset and start living a more positive and happy life.
Ready to say goodbye to negative thoughts?
Let’s get started!
- Be honest with yourself
Often, the best place to start looking for opportunities for positive change is within yourself. When I was at the darkest point in my life, I realized that I wasn’t just bringing myself down, I was taking others down with me.
In conversation, I would somehow turn the perspective into something negative. I didn’t do it intentionally. It just sort of… happened. And, it happened a lot.
This wasn’t good (obviously). I didn’t like that I had an invisible rainy cloud looming over my head wherever I went. And, I really didn’t like seeing what my negativity was doing to the people around me. I couldn’t go and lock myself away from the world either because I’m an extrovert.
So, I needed to come up with a way to be around people without making them feel anything but great.
My first step was being honest with myself and realizing the power of my thoughts, words, actions, and habits. I knew it needed to change and fast.
- Replace negative thoughts with positive thoughts
“Think positive!” is easier said than done. I know that. But, even if you just start small, it’ll make a huge difference.
When I noticed myself going down the dark road of self-doubt, I got in the habit of stopping myself. I’d literally say, “Lisa, you should not think negatively. This is terrible. Think about something positive instead.”
I would basically scold myself and, let me tell you, I was very good at scolding. I began thinking about my mind like a vacuum. Once I pulled a negative thought out, it left room for something to go back in. It was my choice whether I would let another negative thought creep back in or make it an exclusive “positive zone.”
Think about it as you’ve gone through The Productive Home Solution and all of your kitchen counters are empty (hallelujah!). After doing all that cleaning, you probably don’t want to start cluttering the counters all over again. So, you’ve got to work every day to keep it spotless.
When I was trying to overcome all my racing negative thoughts, I started listening to podcasts. And, it really worked for me. I would binge-listen to an entire season in one sitting because it made me feel good. I felt like I really knew the person speaking to me and it was incredible to see how much they grew as their podcast aged.
Listening to podcasts helped me to think more positively about my life because I was spending so much of my time listening to positive people spreading joy and inspiration.
So, the next time a negative thought comes knocking like a stranger in the night, don’t answer the door. Leave it out in the cold and welcome something positive instead.
- Eliminate the negativity
It’s not easy eliminating everything negative in your life, so start small. It could be a TV show that makes you feel bad about yourself. Cut that show out of your routine and don’t ever go back to it. Protect your mind.
Don’t compare yourself to others and don’t spend time watching things that cultivate negative thoughts. This could be anything from a TV commercial to a YouTube video or even something you saw on social media or the news. Cut it out. Don’t let it penetrate your positive mindset.
I knew that a lot of negativity was coming to me through my phone. Facebook is a huge culprit in cultivating negativity. All you have to do is scroll through the newsfeed and you’ll see terrible things that you wish you hadn’t. So, I’m not on Facebook anymore.
Instagram offers a more positive experience. Everything is like a glossy magazine over there. But you’ve got to be careful about who you follow. I like to follow people who make me feel positive and happy. I don’t follow a lot of people and that’s by design.
Another example of when I eliminated something negative from my life is a particular route we used to take. Every time we took that route, my child would be like, “Look, that’s the place I got hurt.” This happened every time we took that route, so I stopped.
If there’s something in your life that stirs up negative feelings or thoughts, cut it out!
I hope that these tips help you to declutter your negative thoughts so that you can start living a happier life with a positive outlook.
