Have you ever been around someone who is constantly complaining about something? What about people who spread negative gossip, act mean or display hypocritical behavior?
Most people aren’t very tolerant of negative behavior in others. Why should they be? Being around a negative person will make you feel drained and upset. However, a lot of people are willing to tolerate their own negative mind chatter. In some cases, they don’t even realize it’s happening.

Negative Mental Chatter: Are Your Thoughts a Downer?

If you’ve never stopped to listen to your thoughts, you’re likely pretty detached from what’s going on in your inner world. You might be surprised at how negative a lot of your thought patterns are. It’s natural to experience negative thoughts when you’re dealing with a troubling problem, but subconscious negativity that goes on day in and day out can have an unpleasant effect on your health, both mental and physical.

Changing Negative Thoughts: How Can You Initiate Inner Positivity?

A lot can be gained by simply paying attention to your thoughts as you go throughout your day. What are you thinking about right now? What do you think about as you head to work? If you groan when the alarm goes off in the morning and brace yourself for another rough day, you’re setting yourself up for defeat. Most people think of this reaction as normal, and that’s part of the problem! Negative thinking is an epidemic, especially in America.

The good news is that once you realize what you’re thinking about, it’s fairly easy to change the script. Practices like meditation and journaling can help you connect to the things you think and worry about on a daily basis. Also try “listening” to your thoughts for an entire day and seeing what you notice. When you experience a negative thought, try immediately countering it with a positive one. For example:

• “I hate my job” can become “I’m so blessed to have a source of income.”
• “My health problems are so difficult” turns into “I’m glad I still have potential to heal.”
• “My partner frustrates me” morphs into “I’m glad my partner and I always survive our fights.”

As you practice this, it will gradually become more automatic. You’ll not only learn to control your thoughts, but you’ll also be able to turn around a bad mood. This will help you remain focused and avoid getting caught up in negativity when handling problems.