![]() “A lot of times, negative spirals start and end with the amount of pressure we put on ourselves,” says Stern. ![]() If I can't take a day trip, I'll find a park, try a new run route, or get some fresh air, just to change my thoughts around.” 9. Sometimes for me, the noise and bustle of New York City, where I live, causes unconscious stress. If your work environment is toxic, take a mental health day, turn off your mail notifications, and see how you feel. “If it's the fitness models you follow on Instagram, disconnect. ![]() “Be hyper-aware of how your environment is contributing to your spiral,” says Rumble trainer and Not My Best podcast host Julia Stern. Change your environment-physical or digital “When we do that, we actually can’t focus 100 percent on the negative spiral, and that is helpful.” It’s an easy distraction that doesn’t force you to make huge changes, either. Or find three things that are triangles, or look for 10 different textures,” says clinical psychologist Kevin Gilliland, PsyD. “Hyperfocus on your environment and look for patterns, like five things that are blue. Sometimes, simply distracting your mind is enough to stop negative emotions quickly. “This is a simple shift, but if you keep doing it, you’ll naturally keep reaching for higher and better thoughts,” says Thadani. “It’s about consciously choosing to redirect our attention toward something that feels slightly better, even if it’s completely unrelated.” -life coach Khushbu Thadaniįor example, if you’re sad about a recent breakup, allowing yourself to be angry at the person may not be the best feeling, but it’s still higher on the scale than sadness-or if you feel worried about an upcoming job, consider watching a funny movie to feel a sense of humor about it. “It’s about consciously choosing to redirect our attention toward something that feels slightly better, even if it’s completely unrelated,” says nutritionist and life coach Khushbu Thadani. In this case, you can still prioritize small wins to slightly shift your thoughts and mood. It's tough to know how to stop negative thinking from ruining your day in every instance, since, often it's hard or even impossible to transition quickly from negative to happy. Soon, you learn that your thoughts are not 100 percent accurate, but rather something that can be changed,” she adds. You can detach from identifying with your thoughts or feelings, and can simply observe and release them. “As you develop a consistent and disciplined approach, you'll become a calm observer. As we develop greater awareness, we learn to reframe our thoughts for greater empowerment and positivity-and positive thoughts actually create positive outcomes,” says dating coach and relationship expert Monica Parikh, who meditates every morning to reach that level of consciousness. “Having awareness of your thoughts is the process by which we begin to notice our thoughts. “The saying goes, ‘move a muscle, change a thought,’ and that can really transform how you experience the rest of your day.”Īnd of course, if you have time at that moment to have a longer sweat sesh or to hit the gym, do it, if only to get your mind off your thoughts for a little while longer. “Just moving around for a little bit, like by taking a short walk or doing a quick yoga flow can change your whole outlook, get you out of the spiral, and give you those feel-good, mood-boosting endorphins,” says nutritionist Carolyn Brown, MS, RD. Thankfully, however, experts have tips to offer to help lessen (if not completely obliterate) those spirals completely. And, as anyone who's ever let a simple simple rejection letter give way to thoughts about not being good enough in general knows, it's easy to fall into this spiral. “The problem isn’t that something made you feel bad for a little bit of time, but that it isn’t healthy to have it impact your entire day, or have it cause a domino effect of negative thoughts that aren’t related at all,” says psychotherapist Matt Lundquist, LCSW. And for the sake of your mood and mental health, learning how to do just that is worth your time. You no longer feel great and your thought process totally shifted-but if you know how to stop negative thinking spirals, you can still turn around the course of your day. Maybe it’s something your ex posted on social media, maybe something you were really excited about didn't pan out, or maybe you feel rejected in some way. Let's say you're having a really good day, are feeling totally on point, and then suddenly, something happens to pull you completely out of your comfort zone.
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