The world is going through arguably the worst mental health crisis in history. Despite the improved quality of life, more and more people are getting diagnosed with depression and other mental illnesses.
Amidst this trend, it’s important that you learn how to erase negative thoughts and keep your mind healthy, so that you can live a healthy and fulfilling life.
In this article, we’ll discuss why negative thoughts appear, and look at 7 ways you can holistically solve this problem. Let’s begin.
The Real Reason Toxic Thoughts Keep Persisting
Before we begin solving the issue of destructive thinking, we must first identify the core reasons for it. There’s no point in trying to “just be happy” when there are deeper issues that sabotage your wellbeing.
Negativity at its core is the result of resistance towards something that is. When you live a life you don’t want to live, or do things that conflict with your values , your mind signals a need for change through negative thoughts.
However, when that need is not satisfied, negative thinking becomes chronic and consumes the person’s psyche, robbing them from joy and satisfaction. So what can we do about it?
Turns out, it’s not the situation itself that causes suffering, but how we perceive it. If you stop blaming the circumstances for your current state, and focus on what you can control, you’ll find it easier to erase negative thoughts.
With that being said, there are 7 strategies you can use to clear your head and achieve mental clarity.
7 Strategies to Erase Negative Thoughts
When you hold no control over your thoughts, they obtain control over you, dictating your actions, words, behaviors, and long-term goals.
The first step to overcome mental torture is building the habit of meditation.
1: Meditate and Breathe Deeply Daily
Most people spend their days in constant worry. Tasks, responsibilities, regrets of the past, problems in relationships – all of these occupy their heads, preventing them from living the life they want.
These thoughts appear spontaneously, without your wish or control. Therefore, they do not come from you or define who you are. If you accept that you can change your thoughts and ignore those that harm you, you can achieve the mental clarity you want.
The fastest and easiest way to do this is through regular meditation. And no, it’s not only for Buddhist monks who spend their entire days trying to achieve Nirvana. It’s a simple habit that anyone can build and benefit from.
What it does to you is it teaches you to focus on the Present moment, and ignore thoughts that destabilize your mood. The more you meditate, the more control you get over your thoughts, and the more conscious you become of who you truly are.
Start by learning the meditation technique and doing 3-5 minute sessions every morning. When you get comfortable, increase the session time to 10-20 minutes, and enjoy the benefits this practice brings you.
Meditation is enough to remove 90% of your negative thoughts, but to maximize life satisfaction, you need regular gratitude.
Related article: How to Stop Overthinking And Achieve Inner Peace
2: Write What You’re Grateful For to Erase Negative Thoughts
Too many of us take things for granted. We complain about our bosses, economy, women, politicians, how we supposedly don’t have enough, but fail to appreciate the little things.
Be honest: when was the last time you were grateful for being alive? When was the last time you thanked the Universe for giving you shelter, food, water, and family?
That’s right, you can’t remember. And that is why you feel so bad most of the time: you fail to recognize the good in your life, and feed your desire to escape from the bad things you see.
Thankfully, there is an easy solution to this problem. It is another habit that will only require 5 minutes a day – gratitude journaling.
All you need to do is get a journal and write down 5 things you’re grateful for before and after waking up, similar to this:
- I’m grateful for my home.
- I’m grateful for nature.
- I’m grateful for my health.
- I’m grateful for my hobbies.
- I’m grateful for my friends.
Take this practice seriously, and really give appreciation for the things you write about. After as little as 2 weeks of practice, you’ll feel happier, more fulfilled, and have less materialistic desires.
Yes, materialism and striving to consume won’t make you happy in the long run, but what undoubtedly will is exercise.
3: Exercise and Train More
Life is movement. If all you do is sit in one place, scroll on your phone, and listen to sad music to feel sorry for yourself, you’ll keep suffering from negative thinking.
When you exercise (or even simply move your body), your body produces endorphins, which help boost serotonin and dopamine that make you happy and motivated.
I’m not going to list all the benefits of exercise since you’ve heard them a million times already. What is important is that, from now on, you dedicate at least 30 minutes a day to training.
I highly recommend you start weightlifting, as it grounds you in the Present, helps you gain muscle mass, and makes your body look better. The latter also boosts your self-respect, which helps combat self-hatred and other types of destructive thinking.
If you aren’t a fan of going to the gym, or do it already and seek other types of exercise, there are other options you can try:
- Running
- Swimming
- Long-distance hiking
- Calisthenics
- Volleyball
- Stretching
Start small by doing pushups every morning, and later escalate by buying a gym membership and making visits 3-4 times a week. Reward yourself with a nice protein shake every time you finish a workout to stay consistent with exercising.
We’ve covered the physiological ways you can improve your mood and erase negative thoughts. What will help you more and solve the core issue is accepting things the way they are.
Recommended article: How to Deal With Stress Quickly (9 Best Strategies)
4: Accept Things as They Are to Erase Negative Thoughts
As we’ve discussed before, it’s not the situations, people, or things themselves that cause negative thoughts, but rather how we perceive these things.
Even if some things in your life seem intolerable and unbearable, you can learn to acknowledge, ignore them, and focus on something different.
For example, if your coworkers constantly chat when you’re trying to complete a task, try your best not to indulge in the thought pattern of “Damn, I wish they stopped talking so much, I hate it when they do this!”
Instead of complaining, tell yourself “Yup, they’re talking to each other”, close your eyes, pretend that their voices are slowly drifting away, and focus entirely on the work in front.
I know, it will be difficult at first, but over time, as you practice meditation, gratitude and this habit more, you’ll learn to ignore the triggers and erase negative thoughts. To make it easier, you can also breathe deeply, count to ten, and put on headphones with music for focus.
Stoics knew about this approach thousands of years ago, and used it to live fulfilling lives, no matter how difficult the external circumstances were. For 21 days, acknowledge the situations as they are, ignore them, and switch your attention to doing something different.
It’s hard to concentrate on important things when you’re constantly distracted, though. That’s why my next advice to you is getting rid of social media for a month.
Related article: How to Be More Stoic: 10 Ways to Become Unbeatable
5: Take a Break From Social Media
A lot of problems come when you use social media for hours at a time. Not only do you lose hours that you could’ve spent on productive activities, but you also ruin your brain.
Social media drains your dopamine levels, making you less motivated to work or do favorite hobbies. Moreover, it forces you to compare your life to those of other people, creating a perception that you are inferior to them.
The truth is, my friend: the influencers you see online fake everything they put on camera. I’m not exaggerating: all content about fancy cars, lifestyles, women, and mansions is staged to look as good as possible.
Social media steals your time, focus, attention, and makes you miserable the more you use it. I don’t even need to prove it because you are perfectly aware of it. So why not remove it for some time?
For the next month, delete social media apps from your phone (Instagram and TikTok in particular), and occupy yourself with other useful activities.
It’s gonna be hard at first, and you’ll get a lot of cravings. But please, believe me when I tell you that you’ll feel much better once you stop giving your time away to these apps.
You’ll no longer feel that your life isn’t good enough, your anxiety and low mood will decrease, and contentment will become your normal state of mind. Make this decision now, and your future self will be grateful to you.
One of the best things you can do aside from scrolling is walking in parks.
Related article: How to Stop Wasting Time on TikTok and Start Living
6: Spend More Time in Parks to Erase Negative Thoughts
Humans are designed to live with nature. The more time you spend outdoors and breathing fresh air, the better you feel, and the less problems with your mind you experience.
Sadly, if you live in a city, staying in touch with nature can be hard. Skyscrapers block the Sun and sky, and you spend most of the time either in the office or at home.
Not going outside frequently is bad for your health, as it limits the production of Vitamin D, serotonin, dopamine, and creates a breeding ground for unwanted thoughts.
No matter how difficult it is, go outside for at least 15 minutes every day. Leave your phone at home, along with your preoccupations, and focus on the beauty of nature. Breathe deeply, look at the trees around, and appreciate the singing of birds.
I know, it sounds wishy-washy, but it is most likely what you need the most. Connect with nature as often as you can, and you’ll remember what it’s like to actually feel alive.
Moreover, parks can help you boost creativity, as you’ll find it easier to generate new ideas while in these relaxing places. So, leave your phone at home, go to your local park, and enjoy your life.
7: Life Your Life to the Fullest
Finally, the last way to erase negative thoughts is by enjoying every moment of your life. We like to think that we have a lot of time, and act as if it will never run out.
The reality is the opposite: our time on this Earth is limited. In contrast to this world and the Universe as a whole, our lifespans are tiny and insignificant. Knowing this fact, why would you want to waste it on the things you dislike?
Why keep wasting your mental energy on guilt, regret, and worry, when you can focus on improving your life, so that you don’t get these thoughts later?
We like to over dramatize our lives, problems, worries, and be in constant fear of what might happen in the future. With every moment wasted on these futile worries, your ability and time to enjoy life slowly get depleted.
From now on, quit complaining about your situation and blaming circumstances or people for your failures. Instead, focus on what you can control: your thoughts, actions, pursuits, and beliefs.
If you’re bored, look for ways to add excitement into your life, like going on hikes and hanging out with friends. If you want to help people, save energy at your primary job, invest it into side hustles, and provide effective solutions to problems.
By taking this proactive approach, you’ll find the source of your worries, eliminate it, and craft the lifestyle you truly enjoy.
Related article: How to Overcome Your Limiting Beliefs (5 Step Guide)
Erase Negative Thoughts
Negative thoughts come for everyone, but far not everyone knows how to deal with them. Most people make futile attempts to escape them through drinking, watching TV series, scrolling, and listening to sad music, only for them to come back again.
There are 7 ways you can erase negative thoughts, both long and short term:
- Meditate and breathe deeply daily;
- Keep a gratitude journal;
- Exercise and train more;
- Accept things as they are;
- Take a break from social media;
- Spend more time in parks and forests;
- Live your life to the fullest.
Remember: start small, and don’t try to do all these things at once. Start by meditating for 3 minutes a day, exercising for 30 minutes, and limiting social media to 1 hour a day.
Slowly, but surely, your efforts will compound, and after as little as 3 weeks, you’ll feel significantly less anxiety, depressive thoughts, and feel alive again.
Erase your negative thoughts before they erase you. Work, live, improve, drink water, take care, and see you soon, brother.
If you liked this article and found it useful, make sure to share it on social media and leave a comment below. See you next time.