What to do When Negative Thoughts Creep in

Having a positive mindset is one of the best things you can do for yourself, but can also 
be one of the most challenging. As humans, we find it easier to focus on what is going 
wrong, rather than what is going right. 

Whether you have a self-deprecating attitude and constantly put yourself down (even 
just for laughs), or your anxious thoughts tend to overpower your optimistic ones, it can 
keep you from living your best life.

This isn’t about toxic positivity, where you force yourself to smile and be happy even 
when the world is crumbling around you. It is more about staying present, being 
grateful, and not letting the negative thoughts consume you. 


Challenge Your Thoughts

The first thing you can do when you notice negative thoughts starting to creep into your 
mind is to challenge them. This is when you don’t label them good or bad, but consider 
where they are coming from and whether or not they are practical. 

It is easy to have negative thoughts that aren’t realistic, and more based on fears and 
assumptions than anything concrete. Your thoughts can become distorted because of 
your own stress or anxiety, or just because it has become a habit to think more 
negatively than positively. 

When challenging your thoughts, try to look at them objectively, as if you are someone 
else considering them. This allows you to see them from another perspective and 
ascertain how valid they are.


Consider What Triggered Them

Every thought you have is triggered by something, whether you were conscious of it or 
not. Many times, we are halfway through a spiraling thought pattern and don’t even 
realize it started from seeing something on social media or being reminded of a bad 
memory from the past. 

When you find yourself stuck in a negative thought spiral, try to get into a mindful state 
where you stay present and can think logically about how those thoughts began. What 
were you doing? Did someone say something to you? How did you feel before this 
thought process began?

You might find that very specific things tend to trigger your negative thoughts, which is 
great because in the future you might be able to avoid it.


Do Something That Always Makes You Happy

Sometimes all you can do to think more positively is to just distract your mind and focus 
on what makes you happy. Anything that cheers you up or brings joy and contentment 
into your mind is great for this practice. 

It might just be sitting on the couch and watching Netflix or scrolling through Tik Tok to 
watch funny videos. Maybe you are happier being outside in nature and you go for a 
walk or bike ride. You might be someone who is happiest when around other people, so 
you call up a friend or meet up for drinks. If you are a creative person, maybe you are 
happiest when you are drawing, painting, or working on crafts at home. 

There is no right or wrong here, as long as it is something you truly enjoy. This becomes 
a good opportunity for some self-care and can stop your negative thoughts in their 
tracks.


Stop Judging Your Own Thoughts

One of the problems with negative thoughts isn’t the thoughts themselves, but that you 
are judging them. This is where toxic positivity comes in. You aren’t just trying to never 
think anything negatively again, because that’s impossible. Nobody is happy and 
positive 100% of the time. 

Instead what you want to do, is be mindful of your thoughts, but never judge them. Look 
for the triggers, understand where they came from, figure out why you are feeling this 
way, challenge your thoughts and consider whether or not it comes from a place of 
honestly or fear. 

Every time a negative thought pattern enters your mind, tell yourself you accept that it is 
how you feel right now, but why am I feeling this way? 


Breathe and Take a Moment to Pause

Lastly, to move past your negative thoughts and not let them consume you, you can just 
take a moment to pause and breathe. Stop whatever you are doing, don’t think about 
those negative thought spirals, and just focus on your breathing. Even if you only have 2 
minutes to spare, sit quietly, close your eyes, and breathe in deeply. Focus only on your 
inhales and exhales and keep centering your mind to focus on your breathing.

Many times, all we need is a few minutes of rest to breathe and relax. This can stop 
negative thoughts that are about to spiral out of control and allow us to calm the anxious 
thought patterns.
