Negative thoughts and feelings are a natural part of life. We all have negative thoughts, even when things are going well and we’re happy with our lives. That’s completely normal.

Our thoughts tend to follow patterns and repeat themselves, which means we probably think many of the same thoughts every day.

Much of what we do becomes routine, and it’s easy to go through the day on autopilot.

When you’re stressed, negative thoughts and worry can more easily take over. It’s easy to get caught in a cycle of negative thinking and start believing that things are worse than they really are.

The first step is to start noticing your thought patterns. When you become more aware of your thoughts, it also becomes easier to make small changes.

How to Deal With Negative Thoughts – 5 Practical Tips

Here are five practical things you can try when negative thoughts start taking up too much space.

1) Get to know your thought patterns

Start by noticing when negative thoughts show up. Are there certain situations that keep coming up? Maybe when you’re stressed, tired, or going through something difficult?

Also notice what kinds of thoughts you have. Maybe you think in black-and-white terms, imagine the worst-case scenario, or automatically blame yourself. These are examples of thinking traps that can give negative thoughts more space.

Is your inner critic taking up too much space? Maybe you have thoughts like: “It’s my fault,” “I should have done a better job,” or “I can’t do this.”

Learn to put your thoughts into words:

• I’m stressed right now, so I’m thinking more negatively.
• I’m putting myself down because I’m afraid of making a mistake.
• I’m putting myself down because I don’t feel good enough.
• I’m worrying about something that hasn’t happened yet.

Simply starting to notice these thoughts can make it easier to recognize your patterns.

An example

Does this sound familiar? You’re going through a difficult time at work. There have been several challenges and lots of tasks you haven’t had time to deal with. You’re stressed and tired, and new tasks and demands keep coming up.

Maybe you’re not sleeping well, and when you wake up, you still feel tired. You think about all the challenges from the day before and dread going to work. One thing leads to another, and the negative thoughts start taking up more and more space.

It’s easy to get caught in a negative cycle and feel stuck in negative thoughts and emotions. Suddenly, everyday life can start to feel heavy and gray.

In Mindfit, you can explore your own reaction patterns and become more aware of why you think and feel the way you do.

2) Challenge your negative thoughts

Once you’ve started noticing your negative thoughts, try challenging them. Is what you’re thinking necessarily true, or are there other ways to look at the situation?

Ask yourself:

• What evidence do I have that this thought is true?
• Do my negative thoughts reflect what’s actually happening? What facts suggest otherwise?
• What would I think if a friend were in the same situation?

• Is there another way to look at this?

3) Train Yourself to Notice What’s Good

You can train yourself to notice more of what’s good.

Shift your attention toward what you accomplish, appreciate, and are grateful for. These can be big or small experiences, including things you would normally take for granted.

Turning negative thoughts into positive ones isn’t about positive thinking. It’s about shifting your attention toward what’s working and what’s good in your life.

This builds a mental buffer against stress, negative thoughts, and self-criticism.

A simple way to get started is to ask yourself: What was good about today?

When you stop and notice positive experiences, you give them more space.

4) Log your experiences

You can reinforce the good feeling by writing down the experience. Don’t just think about it — write it down. This gives you a moment to reflect on what happened while also taking in the good feeling.

You can also come back to what you’ve written later and remind yourself of the good things you’ve experienced or accomplished.

On days when you don’t feel good enough, this can give you some extra motivation and strength.

When you do this regularly, you train yourself to pause and notice the good experiences.

It can help you:

• bring positive memories to mind when negative thoughts and feelings take up a lot of space
• remember that life includes both accomplishments and good moments
• remind yourself of what you’ve accomplished, appreciated, and felt grateful for
• become more aware of what gives you joy and energy, and make more room for it

Research in positive psychology suggests that exercises like these can support your mental health. They can increase life satisfaction, reduce depressive symptoms, and help you become better equipped to handle life’s ups and downs.

In Mindfit, you can record what you accomplish, appreciate, and are grateful for. Come back to it when you need to remind yourself of what’s good.

5) Calm Down When Your Thoughts Go on Repeat

When you’re stressed, negative thoughts can go on repeat and take up a lot of space. Shifting your attention or using an exercise to calm your body and racing thoughts can help.

In Mindfit, you’ll find different techniques to try depending on what you need. You can use breathing exercises and relaxation to calm your body, EMDR-inspired techniques, and exercises that help shift your attention when thoughts take up too much space.

You’ll also find the Calm Racing Thoughts exercise. Here, you write down what’s on your mind and imagine the thought passing by like a cloud. This can help you get some distance from your racing thoughts.

Try different techniques and find what works for you.