Stopping Negativity In Its Tracks

Ok, you know not to allow yourself to indulge in negative self-talk about some future event that may or may not happen that will ruin your life or your chance for happiness…. You have heard this a million times. But how easy is it to do? When we are anxious about the future, we tend to spin a story in our mind about what might happen and then relive that negative story a thousand times. This actually can cause stress hormones like cortisol to increase and negatively affect one’s immune system.

 So, what can we do to stop this cycle of negative self-talk about the future? One suggestion is to gain some mastery over one’s thoughts by being kind but firm with yourself about not allowing those thoughts to repeat. It’s one thing to think about a negative outcome once, twice, three times, but to let it go unchecked for hours or days shows a lack of mental mastery. Therefore, just like exercising our bodies, it is essential to exercise our will power and resist repeating negative stories. This practice of the firmness of the mind creates a type of strength that will serve you in all sorts of situations.

How is this done? Let’s say you are afraid of losing your job due to the Corona Virus. You play over and over again the negative outcomes that can happen; the bills you won’t be able to pay, the fear of ruining your credit. All of these issues are real and important. However, after you review the possibilities, make a firm commitment to yourself that you will not review these negative outcomes even for one minute more until, or if, you are actually fired. Your firm commitment is to stay present in the moment and making positive choices for yourself and your family and not spending energy on things that have not happened as of yet.

This is mental training; this firmness of the mind, not to allow yourself for one minute to go down that path of negative outcomes. I call this "MindFit" as it is mental training. This absolute refusal to indulge in negative self-talk is a path to freedom and will build an internal power to keep you safe and strong.