How can I obtain a positive mindset?

How do I stop being so negative?

This might be a relevant topic for most people! Our mind can be a hectic place filled with a variety of thoughts. Our brain functions faster than we think! With collections of thoughts and stimuli, it can be overwhelming. The biggest question is which thoughts do you believe?

The way in which we think and talk to ourselves directly impacts our functioning and mental state. While it is very easy to say, "just think positively!", or practice positive affirmations, we believe it can be a lot more complicated than that. When our mind adopts a more negative mindset, it can be hard to counter or believe anything positive upfront. We propose a more realistic approach, which is called "aiming for neutral".

Instead of jumping from negative to positive affirmations, we suggest taking a realistic route of neutrality. At the core, we are all humans with flaws, make mistakes, have imperfections or insecurities. Even the people we can't help but to compare ourselves to have these. So what does it look like?

For an example:

"I'm the ugliest person I know, I feel gross, I need to do ______"

The direct positive of the would be "I'm beautiful, I don't need to change anything!", which is a great thought process to have but might not be believable with where you're at. Instead, you could try a neutral approach which affirms that you have flaws, learning to accept them and see yourself on equal ground with most humans. "I may not love how I look now, but I can work on it; I have flaws just like other people; I am human with imperfections and that's okay".

This technique can build permanence of neutral thoughts. Once you've become equipped with a neutral thought process, it is an easier transition to positive affirmations! If you or someone you know is struggling with negative thought patterns, reach out to a therapist at Orlando Thrive Therapy today.