Since the beginning of the Coronavirus pandemic, we have been bombarded by negative images, news, and videos. We are constantly being reminded of how people all over the world are suffering from lack of healthcare, lack of food, poverty, deterioration of health, lack of safety and security, inequality, injustice, and death. These images and videos that we’re constantly being exposed to every day can negatively impact the way we view the world and the way we think.
Negative events cause us to look at the world in a negative way. It can have an impact on our behavior and our decision-making. The negative information we read in newspapers, watch on the news, and talk about with our families, friends, and colleagues can cause us to be pessimistic about life. We start to focus on negative things, we remember negative experiences, and we tend to make bad decisions based on negative information. So how do we break this habit of negative thinking?
Acknowledge Your Negative Thinking
Sometimes when negative thoughts pop into our heads we try to ignore it, but it always comes back. These feelings may make you feel physically and mentally drained. These negative thoughts may be triggered by stress, headaches, nervousness, depression, and anxiety.
Whatever triggered these negative emotions, the first step to breaking this habit is to acknowledge they exist. Don’t think that by ignoring these feelings they’ll just go away because they won’t. Negative thinking can affect your mood, your health, your relationships, and your job.
Share Your Thoughts with God
It takes very little effort to have negative thoughts. They happen automatically. But it takes a lot of work to change your negative thoughts to positive thoughts. But you don’t have to do it alone. Share your thoughts with God.
The next time you start to feel pessimistic about life, talk to God about it. He cares about your thoughts and feelings and he wants to help you. In 1 Peter 5:7 of the Bible, it is written, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (NIV).
Replace Your Negative Thoughts with Positive Thoughts
The next time you have a negative thought, replace it with thinking of something positive. It may also help to write down or say something positive out loud. For example, if you made a mistake on a project you might think, “How could I have let this happen? I’m such an idiot!” When this negative thought enters your mind, replace it by saying, “This is a minor setback, but I’m smart and I know I can fix this!”
Ask God to help you to have more positive thoughts. He wants you to have a more positive way of thinking, as it is written in Philippians 4:8 of the Bible: “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things” (NIV).
Cultivate a Habit of Positive Thinking
Getting into the habit of thinking positively doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time to develop. But there are simple and easy ways to become a more positive person with an optimistic outlook on life. Start by being grateful for what you have. You can write down all the things you are grateful for every day and you can always express your gratitude to God. Thank him for blessing you with good health, good friends, and a great job. Thank him for his protection and for giving you what you need.
Next, surround yourself with positive people. Spending time with people who have an optimistic outlook can also influence you to be more optimistic. Being around positive people will help you to improve your self-esteem and encourage you to reach your goals. Their positive attitude is so contagious that it will rub off on you.
And finally, start each day by doing something positive. You can either listen to music that makes you happy, fills you with positive thoughts, listen to short motivational speeches, or use positive affirmations to help you feel good about yourself.
Changing your negative thoughts and behavior won’t happen overnight. But with a little practice and lots of prayers, you can learn to change your way of thinking to something more positive and approach life with a more positive attitude.
