The critical inner voice refers to a well-integrated pattern of destructive
thoughts toward our selves and others. The “voices” that make up this
internalized dialogue are at the root of much of our maladaptive behavior.
This internal enemy fosters inwardness, distrust, self-criticism, self-denial,
addictions and a retreat from goal-directed activities. The critical inner
voice effects every aspect of our lives: our self-esteem and confidence, our
personal and intimate relationships, and our performance and
accomplishments at school and work.
So, how can we topple the negativity bias? How can be kick negative thoughts to be curb? Here are few ways you can try :
- Throw Them Out – Here’s a simple way to halt negative thoughts. Write them down, Rip them up, and throw them in the garbage. The results? Researchers discovered that throwing out a negative thought literally helps discard the thought mentally. A co-author of the study, Richard Petty, said, “However you tag your thoughts, as trash or as worthy of protection, seems to make a difference in how you use those thoughts.”
- Distract Yourself (The Right Way) – Use a distraction to get your mind off your negative thought with one caveat: make sure you have a focused distraction. In other words, don’t just let your mind wander. Studies show it is better to have a concentrated distraction as a wandering mind may further lead to negative thoughts. Some suggestions are listen to music, take a walk, or write in a journal.
- Express Gratitude – Our memories are nor carved in stone. Research suggests memories of unpleasant experiences can become magnified in our mind which, in turn, leads to rumination and negative thinking. Fortunately, these studies also demonstrate that expressing gratitude makes us more likely to remember positive memories and can even transform neutral and negative memories into positive ones. Start a gratitude journal.
- Label Your Thoughts – Instead of saying “My life is not going anywhere”, try saying, “I’m having a thought that my life is not going anywhere”. Making this subtle (but conscious) shift creates a buffer between your thought and your emotional and behavioral reaction to it. In other words, you are training yourself to truly understand that you are not your thoughts. You can have a negative thought, but not necessarily an adverse reaction to it.
- Stop Trying – Wait, isn’t the point of this article to help eliminate negative thoughts? The truth is that we don’t need to be free from all negative thoughts. Negative thoughts and emotions are a natural part of the human condition. In fact, a healthy dose of negative thinking can sometimes be a catalyst for change. So, what do you do when the thought pops up?
In essence being able to overcome negative thinking is all about realizing that everyone has negative thoughts. Instead it’s how you deal with them and how you allow those thoughts to manifest themselves that really makes the difference.
Be Inspired..!! 
I think every single one of those points can help someone. Each person just needs to find the thing that works for them.
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I agree with you Kristina. Everyone has their own unique way to dealing with negative thoughts. Most of us spend a lot of time inside our own mind — worrying about the future, replaying events in the past, and generally focusing on the parts of life that leave us dissatisfied. While common, negative or unwanted thoughts can prevent you from enjoying experiences, distract you from focusing on what’s important, and drain your energy. They can also make you feel anxious and depressed. The good news is that with dedicated practice, you can replace negative thinking patterns with thoughts that actually help. This can make a huge difference in your day-to-day happiness and comfort.
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I absolutely agree!
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Some of the points seem little to difficult to apply and are a bit hypothetical and temporary measures especially for example throwing out negative thoughts. However some are really helpful like being grateful and acknowledging the negativity.
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Great that you liked some. See what works for you.
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Reblogged this on Antonella Lallo.
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Thank you for the reblog.
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Buona giornata
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Buongiorno
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Very thoughtful! Thanks for sharing ✨
Kind regards
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I have been working on this myself and I’ve found that not only can I control negative thoughts but I’ve also found the power of the mind can help conquer a lot of things, for me I had bad panic attacks and now I never have them at all.
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Thank you for sharing a blessed post. I especially found inspiration from: throw those negative thoughts out (great method) and expressing gratitude.
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So I will share my secret with you. When my emotions are overwhelming, say I am frustrated with someone or a situation, I write it down. I write about what I didn’t like about the situation, what I didn’t like about the person, forgive myself for the anger (apologise to my inner self), forgive the person and then when I am done, I burn the paper. It’s a release. Try it!!
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Hi Garima,
Yes, we can’t stop them from coming, but we can learn to manage and learn from them. What is triggering these things. That’ healthy and scary to get to the core.
Thanks,
Gary
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Yes indeed Gary. Instead of getting affected by them, we have to observe them.
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Literally throwing them in the garbage sounds interesting.
I’m also literally going to try it!
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