How to Use Positive Thinking to Overcome Negative Thoughts

Positive thinking can be learnt. Everyone has days when things go wrong, but when the 'bad' days start to outweigh the 'good' we have to consider whether there really is a conspiracy against us - or if it's our negative thinking that is causing us to view every day as 'bad'. If it is the latter it's time to change our thought processes, and start using positive thinking techniques to overcome negative thoughts.

Positive thinking isn't something that comes naturally to everyone, and for anyone stuck in a cycle of negativity, it can be difficult to understand how something as apparently simple as thinking positively could have the power to help them change their lives.

But once you start down the process of thinking positively you quickly realise 2 things:

1. It doesn't happen overnight and it isn't always easy, but
2. IT WORKS

 Our brains are wonderful things, and luckily for us they are remarkably easy to influence.

The brain cannot tell the difference between something that has really occurred, or something we have imagined. This is why so many successful people from many different disciplines use visualization techniques to rehearse their actions. It may be a sportsman running through a race in his mind, or a business man practicing a presentation to the board and going through the questions that might come up. Either way the response of our our brain is the same, it thinks we've really done it ~ which means when it actually comes to the time to do it, it automatically feels easier.

These vizualisation techniques are the foundation stone of training our brains to think more positively.

 Vizualisation is a process by which you use your mind to imagine a situation and how you want that situation to be.

For example if you are feeling very negative about work because you are either in a job you don't like or having trouble finding a job you can use visualization to help you improve the situation. Find a quiet place where you won't be disturbed, either sit or lie down, whichever is more comfortable, close your eyes and imagine your perfect job. Don't get hung up on details of exactly what it is, concentrate more on the aspects of it. For example if you want to work outside imagine the feel of the sun on your face, or the views you can see. If you want an office based job imagine how it would feel to have a great set of colleagues around you. If you want a pay rise, think about what you would do with the extra money. Concentrate on the end result rather than thinking about how you are going to get there.

Visualizing where you want to be will automatically bring forward feeling of positivity. Note how they make you feel, remember them and try to recreate them in your daily life. Repeat the visualisation on a daily basis and within a short space of time you should begin to notice differences in your life, opportunities and coincidences will begin to arise where before you couldn't see them.  

This has been a whistle stop tour of visualization , but you can get a more in depth look at visualisation techniques by reading 'How to Use Creative Visualization Techniques - Stage 1' and 'How to Use Creative Visualization Techniques - Stage 2'

 It's easy to always think the worst; it's much harder to train yourself to look at things in a positive way. Positive thinking doesn't mean being unrealistic, it isn't about blindly hoping everything will turn out okay, it's about looking for the positive in a situation, learning from the negatives and recognising opportunities when they come your way.

Try this positive thinking exercise:

Start to concentrate on your thoughts and every time you find yourself thinking something negative, think about whether there is a way to have the same thought but in a positive way.

For example you've been for an interview but didn't get the job - it would be easy to think of this as purely negative but there are also plenty of positives in there too. The fact that you were interviewed means they obviously thought you could do the job which is a positive. This job didn't work out but it means you're available to apply for the next job which is likely to be even better - another positive. You can learn from the interview and improve your skills so next time you are better - another positive.

Once you start to get into the habit of finding the positives in a situation, you'll find it gets easier and easier until it becomes your natural way of thinking.