Can You Remove Negative Thoughts From Your Mind Permanently?

Published on August 18, 2024

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Fact checked by Rimgailė Blekaitienė, MSc

Negative thinking pattern is a common problem that a lot of people of all ages struggle with. It's a way of thinking that usually focuses on the negative aspects of life instead of the positive ones. As it’s completely normal to experience negative thinking from time to time, there is no way (and, in fact, no reason) to remove negative thoughts from the mind permanently. However, if negative patterns of thinking are negatively affecting your mental well-being and everyday life, you can take steps to replace them with more positive thoughts.

Read on to learn more about the causes of negative thoughts, their effects on your mental well-being, and how to better manage your negative thoughts.

Why do we have negative thoughts?

Negative thoughts are pessimistic and intrusive thoughts regarding your life and your future. While it's completely normal to have negative feelings and thoughts, it becomes a concern when there is a repetitive pattern of such thoughts and feelings. Then, it can be damaging and starts interfering with your day-to-day activities and productivity.

Some examples of negative thoughts include:

Common causes of negative thinking

There are so many different causes of negative thoughts. But here are some of the most common causes:

Past trauma. Past trauma or negative events can leave a lasting impact on your thought patterns. So many people may think of negative and traumatic events that happened in the past and relive them in a manner that is far worse than what actually happened, which may lead to a lot of negative thoughts.
Stress and anxiety. Sometimes, when you’re anxious or stressed, you start thinking about bad things a lot. This usually happens because your brain 'gets ready' to deal with problems. If you are under a lot of stress, it can turn into anxiety, where you worry a lot about bad things happening. This makes you think negatively.
Overthinking. Overthinking involves dwelling persistently over past events, worrying about what might happen in the future, or even agonizing over each and every aspect of an event until the point of exhaustion. This is a harmful thought pattern that can make you become overly anxious and obstruct your decision-making.
Self-criticism. Constant self-criticism can be a source of negative thoughts. Although it's crucial to be honest with yourself about your strengths and weaknesses, excessive negative self-criticism can reduce your confidence in your ability to handle life’s challenges.
Perfectionism. Perfectionism is when you have very high standards and always want to be perfect. It’s not good for your mental well-being. You put a lot of pressure on yourself to be perfect, and you are scared of making mistakes. This can make you talk to yourself negatively and can lead to stress or anxiety.
Fear of the future. The future is unknown, and that can be a source of anxiety for most of us. We worry about our future and think of all the worst-case scenarios.
Difficult circumstances. Sometimes, life can throw you into difficult circumstances, such as health problems and financial issues, which can lead to negative thoughts. This may contribute to a negative outlook on life instead of seeing them as ‘challenges’ that you can overcome.

How to deal with negative thoughts

You don’t have to be stuck in an endless cycle of negative thinking patterns. While there is no strategy that could help you remove negative thoughts from your mind permanently, you can take steps to slowly turn that negative mentality around. This will not happen overnight, yet with consistent practice, you may be able to better deal with negative thoughts before they lead to more serious mental health issues. Here are some of the ways that you can use to manage negative thoughts.

Therapy

One of the most effective strategies that a doctor may recommend is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) or talk therapy. This is a type of therapy that can help people identify and change negative thought patterns. CBT has been shown to be an effective way of treating a wide range of mental health issues, including depression and anxiety.

Stress management

Managing stress is important for healthy mental well-being. You can manage stress by using relaxation techniques like deep breathing or listening to calming music to help you relax. Furthermore, you can try stress management devices, like the Sensate device that promises to help you relax, or the Apollo wearable device, which may enhance your physical and mental well-being. While more research is needed to prove the effectiveness of such devices, anecdotal evidence suggests they may help you stay calm and balanced, especially in moments of stress.

Exercise

Exercising regularly can have a significant positive impact on physical and mental well-being. Exercising releases endorphins that can improve your mood and reduce stress. You don’t have to plan difficult exercises at the gym to see results in terms of your negative thoughts. Even a simple walk or jogging around your neighborhood can help.

Meditation and mindfulness

Meditation and mindfulness are great techniques to help you notice your negative thoughts and any physical sensations associated with them. Practicing mindfulness helps you become more conscious of your negative thoughts as they occur. Meditation is one of the greatest forms of mindfulness that can help you detach yourself from your thoughts and feelings and view them as an outside observer. This can help you become more conscious of your thoughts and build better self-awareness.

Journaling

Journaling is a wonderful way to help yourself recognize pessimistic thoughts. Why? Because jotting down your thoughts on paper can help give you some perspective and self-awareness of your thought process. A lot of people find it much easier to identify thoughts that are self-critical or untrue when they jot them down instead of letting the bad thoughts run through their heads in circles.

Practicing gratitude

When you are struggling with negativity, it's so easy to forget all the positive things in your life. Practicing gratitude can help you develop a more positive mindset. Try to spend a few minutes every day thinking or even writing down what you're grateful for. These can be things about yourself, your loved ones, your job, or just anything that makes you thankful for your life. In the long term, practicing gratitude may help enhance happy thoughts rather than negative ones.

Replacing negative thoughts

Replacing negative thoughts with positive talk is another useful way to deal with negative thoughts. Replacing negative thoughts is a habit that requires practice and repetition for success. You have to learn to identify when a negative thought starts and reframe it with a positive or productive thought. For example, instead of saying, “I am a failure,” try saying, “This did not work; I'll have to try another way.”

Your environment usually plays a huge role in shaping your thoughts. Negative influences will likely make you doubt yourself and make it harder to manage negative thoughts in healthy ways. Strong social support is important for mental well-being. We are all social creatures, so having positive people who care for us doesn't just contribute to our happiness — it may also help reduce the effects of negativity.

The impact of negative thinking

Negative thinking patterns can really damage your mental health. Though such thoughts might seem harmless at first, they can contribute (in addition to other factors) to mental health issues, such as anxiety, depression, stress, low self-esteem, and reduced energy and productivity. That’s why it’s important to recognize and take conscious steps to address these thoughts to maintain good mental health.

Negative thought is a pattern of thinking negatively about yourself, others, or the situations that you are in. It's a common and natural part of the human experience that may be caused by stress and anxiety, past trauma, fear of the future, and self-criticism. While negative thoughts are common, too much negativity can affect your mental well-being. To get rid of intrusive thoughts, try practicing mindfulness and meditation, seeking professional help, managing stress, journaling, and trying to replace negative thoughts. While we cannot get rid of negative thoughts permanently, creating a habit of switching from negative to more positive thoughts can help you improve your mental well-being.

Have you struggled with negative thinking? Please share your experiences and questions in the comments below. We can learn from each other and support one another on this journey.

FAQ

Why am I so negative all the time?

Negative thoughts are common, and everybody has them from time to time. But factors that can worsen bad thoughts include stress, past trauma, or low self-esteem.

When should I seek professional help for negative thoughts?

You should seek professional help if negative thoughts are interfering with your daily life and you can't manage them on your own. A mental health professional can provide effective strategies to help you address them.

Do negative thoughts disappear themselves?

While thoughts come and go, negative thought patterns that are persistent and interfere with your daily life don’t usually go away on their own. It takes effort and practice to change your negative thought patterns.

Negative thoughts refer to patterns of thinking negatively about yourself, what you do, and the life you lead; they are a natural part of the human experience.
Therapy, managing stress, exercising, journaling, meditation and mindfulness, practicing gratitude, and replacing negative thinking are common ways to deal with negative thoughts.
Causes of negative thought patterns include stress and anxiety, past trauma, fear of the future, self-criticism, perfectionism, and difficult circumstances such as health problems.
The potential impact of persistent negative thinking includes low self-confidence, increased stress and anxiety, rapid mood shifts, and reduced energy and productivity.