Thousands of thoughts run through each of our minds every day. Each second, a new thought can pop up. We may hear a song that makes us feel nostalgic, eat a food that brings us back to a different time, or see a familiar face that exudes love into our lives. Thoughts are constant, and our minds can be very difficult to tame, especially when those pesky negative thoughts arise. It can seem that once one negative thought creeps in, it’s the domino effect and hard to stop the flooding of hundreds more. We’ve all experienced this. This spiral of thoughts can lead to depressed moods, low energy, and a lack of motivation.

Part of a spiritual life and the desire to be the best people we can be involves a practice or use of tools that can assist us throughout our days. Just like learning a new sport or skill, practice creates progress. So, this week, let’s delve into some tips on how to stop those negative thoughts, and what you can do the bring more positive ones into your life.

1. Start your day with meditation. It’s almost like a broken record, but beginning your day with at least five minutes of silence and stillness can create a positive energy in your body. Automatic happy thoughts.

2. Be present and aware of your surroundings and your moods. Take notice of when you start to feel down or heavy hearted. Are there certain places or people that make you feel bad? By simply noticing these patterns you create the desire to change.

3. Choose a Sacred Mantra…and use it! Mantra repetition is an ancient tool used by many spiritual teachers and sages that essentially eliminates negative thoughts. A mantra is a spiritual passage or prayer that has been used by many before you. Get into the practice of repeating a mantra, even if you’re in a positive mood. Forming this habit, your mind will go to the mantra when negative thoughts arise.

4. Practice using affirmations. Like mantras, affirmations are similar in that they can be repeated in your mind, to take away from negativity. Differing from mantras, affirmations can be about any aspect of your life, so long as it’s positive. Affirmations create that shift from negative to positive, allowing you to see the light in all things.

5. Live from the notion of gratitude. There will always be situations that bring us down, but there is always something to be thankful for. When you live your life in a constant state of gratitude, you allow the negative to wash away and stand firmly in positive living.

So, what works for you? When trying to get out of a negative funk, what do you do to shift your thoughts? Let us know!

[embedit snippet=”blog-author-michelle”]