Having negative thoughts can only bring you pain, something that I have experienced throughout my life. Negative thoughts drained me of energy and kept me from being in the present moment. The more I gave in to negative thoughts, the stronger they became, and the more inescapable they seemed.
Luckily for me, I walked the path of self-healing, removing negativity from my life completely. My path to a happier, more fulfilling life started with positive daily reinforcement, which is why I’d like to share with you the six easiest ways to free your mind of negativity. I know it will work for you, too!
1. Meditate
One of the first things I did to eliminate my negative thoughts was meditate. Meditation took my focus away from my thoughts and brought my attention to my breath. It was through meditation where I learned to stay present to my experience, so instead of jumping to what could happen, it brought me back to the now—the only moment, the most important moment. For more information about mediation and how to meditate, please see my earlier blog A Guide To Meditation.
2. Smile
For those of you who know me, you know that I love to smile! Surprisingly though, my smile wasn’t always authentic. Sure, I was always a smiler, but for years, my smile wasn’t real. I would smile out the outside, but would cry on the inside. I wasn’t authentically happy. I was always too focused on my flaws and how to fix them rather than recognizing all the beautiful things about me. It was only until I learned how to be authentically happy that I began to smile a real smile. Smiling is good for your health; it feels good and it helps you embrace positivity.
3. Take Responsibility
If you’re stubborn (like I was), snap out of it! Find a way out and take responsibility for yourself. Don’t let change happen. Make change happen. If you take responsibility for yourself and for your actions, you will always have the choice to make positive change happen.
4. Don’t Compare Yourself To Others
Comparisons are always unfair. I used to compare what I thought were the worst attributes about me to the best I presumed about others. It wasn’t until I realized that we are too unique to compare fairly. Your values, talents and accomplishments are entirely unique to you and your purpose in this world. They can never be properly compared to anyone else, ever.
5. List 5 Things You Are Grateful For
Being grateful helps you to appreciate what you already have. Here was my list: Family, Education, Friends, Shelter and Good Health. Whenever I felt negative thoughts, I would always go back to this list as it reminded me of how blessed I really was (and am).
6. Help Someone
This was (for me) the most important factor in freeing any negative thoughts. Helping others is not only a passion of mine, but it was also a form of self-healing. Giving back also connected me to others, creating stronger communities and helping to build a happier, more fulfilled life for both myself and for others.
The time is now to remove negativity from your life. There are so many positive things you already have going for you, and so much more to come. Embrace the positivity in your life today and give yourself a reason to be happy.
I also invite you to check out my book ‘Weighing Love,’ which was written with the intention to help anyone who is dealing with eating disorders/disordered eating, self-esteem issues, body image issues, and negative thoughts, or for anyone who is trying to reach touch with their authentic self.
Additionally, if you have any further questions, comments or would like to book a 2-hour complimentary coaching session with me, please email me at info@paulagalli.com
Xo Paula
