Recently a Study found that ruminating over past memories or having negative thoughts in general about any particular event is the main indicator of most of today's mental health problems. Researchers also found that what happens to us isn't the only thing that shapes our mental well-being, but how we think about it plays a major role too. After this research, it is clear that negative thoughts affect our life. Now the real question is, HOW? 

Negative thoughts can make any person feel sad or anxious at any given moment. These types of thoughts make us focus on things that we don't have, while completely ignoring all the blessings that we have in our life. Imagine someone like Steve Jobs, who reached the pinnacle of success, viral on social media because of his motivational speeches, role-model of 21st-century youth, crying at his deathbed thinking he wasted time making money. That's the impact of negative thoughts. That's why it's important to understand how to deal with them.


Is It Normal To Have Negative Thoughts?

It was found in a study that an average person has about 12,000 to 60,000 thoughts per day and the shocking thing about it is that 80% of these were negative thoughts. So, are negative thoughts normal? Hell yeah! But... hear these words carefully: "only if you have room for 20% positive thoughts in your brain". Self-assessment can play a major role in figuring out if your brain is working optimally. Now you might be thinking: "If negative thoughts are normal, what should I do?" Well, make space for positive thoughts in your mind and try to catch up to these numbers. 

Can You Stop Negative Thoughts?

You don't want to set yourself up for failure by replacing the thought with something that may not be realistic. A helpful technique could be to ask yourself what would you say to a friend in this situation.    ~ RACHEL GOLDMAN, PHD
I want you to think about this for a second, If an average person gets 80% of negative thoughts every single day, can he completely stop them? The answer is no. Our brain will think both positively and negatively no matter what. What we can do is change our negative thoughts into positive ones. Here are a few tips on how to convert your negative thoughts into positive:-


Practice Gratitude

"It’s not joy that makes us grateful, but gratitude that makes us joyful." 

Gratitude is the quality of being thankful, showing appreciation for what you have and not comparing or complaining about something which you don't have. Being thankful has a powerful impact on our emotional well-being.

Forgive and Forget

Forgiveness means you let go of your negative feelings if a terrible event happens in your life. Research shows that forgiveness improves our mental, emotional and physical health. One study shows that forgiveness can actually lower our blood pressure and improve cardiovascular health. So, it offers more than just a metaphorical impact on the heart.

Share your feelings with your loved ones

Keeping things to yourself can lead to depression and affect your emotional well-being. It's important to share your feelings with someone you trust so they can understand what you are going through and help you in your tough times. Keeping things bottled up is unhealthy. Don't shy away from explaining yourself to your loved ones so they can offer help when you are at your weakest point in life.

Conclusion

Negative thoughts are normal but poorly managed negative thoughts can lead to stress, depression and in some cases heart failure. Don't let negativity take over your life and try the methods mentioned in this article to convert your negative thoughts into positive ones so that you can live a better life.