- Analyze a specific negative thought: how is it helping you? Try reworking it into a more positive thought instead.
- Distract yourself from negative thoughts by doing a fun activity.
- Vent to a trusted friend or loved one about your negative thoughts, or write about them in a journal.
Dealing with Bad Thoughts in the Moment
Reframe the bad thought as something positive. You can actually make yourself feel better and rewire your brain to think more positively by reframing negative thoughts whenever they come up. For example: Bad thought: Everyone at work must hate me. I’m such an awkward person. Better way to reframe it: People at work probably don't feel that strongly about me. I’m my own person with unique quirks. Genuine, worthwhile people will accept me for who I am. This takes practice and can feel a bit unnatural at first, but if you practice, eventually it will be second nature!
Vent about your feelings to a friend or loved one. Share whatever’s on your mind, whether it’s a rough day at school or a tough meeting at work. Putting your negative thoughts out in the open can help you acknowledge them from a clearer, more grounded perspective. If your concerns end up being serious, your support system can help you figure out a helpful and actionable solution. Prioritize friends and loved ones who can lend a listening ear in an open and nonjudgmental way. If a friend or loved one historically makes a big deal out of nothing, they might not be the best person to vent to.
Do something fun or kind for yourself. Think about the activities that make you happiest and most at ease, whether that’s cooking a meal after a long day or catching up on your favorite TV show. Distract yourself from these unpleasant thoughts by adding these positive, uplifting hobbies into your day. While they might not eliminate negative thinking altogether, these activities can help put you in a more positive headspace.
Journal away any negativity in your mind. Journaling can be a valuable way to clear your mind and get rid of bad thoughts in the process. There’s no “right” or “wrong” way to journal—simply write what’s on your mind in a way that makes sense to you. Drawing can also be an effective way to journal for some people. Express yourself in a way that makes sense to you!
Release your negative thoughts with mindfulness. Sit and focus on the present, allowing your thoughts to drift in and out of your mind. Instead of focusing on your negative thoughts, try viewing them as a passive observer. Instead of holding onto those negative thoughts, envision them floating away and out of your mind. As you do this, try to stay grounded and centered. How does it feel when you breathe in and out? What other feelings are floating through your mind? Try to get in the habit of practicing mindfulness regularly. The more you adopt a mindful headspace, the easier it’ll be to get rid of negativity and stop negative thoughts from overtaking your mind.
Reducing Bad Thoughts Over Time
Give yourself a specific amount of time each day to think negatively. Instead of trying to suppress your negative thoughts and worries throughout the day, create a set period (like 15 or 20 minutes) where no thoughts are “off-limits.” Let yourself think as many negative thoughts as you want during this period—but once it’s over, stop actively indulging any negative thoughts. Schedule these sessions at the same time each day, whether that’s first thing in the morning or right before you head to bed.
Infuse humor into the more negative aspects of your daily life. Instead of defaulting to self-defeating thoughts, give yourself permission to laugh at a frustrating or otherwise negative situation. The more you laugh, the better you’ll feel overall. Practice making laughter your default reaction to frustrating and negative situations (within reason). For instance, instead of getting (rightfully) annoyed at a traffic jam, you might laugh at how absurd and predictable it is.
Practice gratitude each day. Using your phone or a physical notebook, record a few things that you’re really thankful for—these can be as simple as sunny weather or a kind driver letting you turn onto a busy road. When you cultivate gratitude, you give negativity less room to thrive in your headspace. Try to practice gratitude around the same time each day so it becomes a habit.
Start your day with positive affirmations. The more negative thoughts you think, the more negatively you’ll feel and see the world around you. Instead, cultivate positivity by repeating positive and uplifting affirmations to yourself each day. I am a capable person who deserves success. I trust my instincts. I will set aside time for the things that make me happy. I’m allowed to smile, relax, and enjoy life. I will look for positive opportunities everywhere I go.
Speak to yourself in the way you’d speak to a friend. When an especially harsh, negative thought worms its way into your mind, take a step back and examine the thought critically. You wouldn’t speak in that negative, critical tone to a friend, so you shouldn’t speak to yourself that way, either. Reframe a thought like “I can never do anything right” to something more compassionate and caring, like “Things didn’t go your way this time, but you’ll do better next time!”
Set aside a few minutes for mindful meditation. For a few minutes each day, find a peaceful place to comfortably sit and relax. Focus on inhaling through your nose and exhaling through your mouth. As you do this, pay attention to the physical aspects of breathing, letting your mind drift without lingering on any specific thoughts. If you do latch onto a negative thought, give yourself permission to let go and focus back on your breathing. Aim to mindfully meditate for around 10 minutes. It’s okay if you can’t meditate every day, but try to do it a few times each week.
Incorporate exercise into your daily routine. Look for opportunities to get your blood pumping throughout the day, whether that’s taking a walk around the neighborhood, going for a bike ride, or taking a swim. Working out releases feel-good chemicals in your brain, which helps you to feel better overall. Exercise also has other benefits for your mental health and well-being, like: Boosting your self-esteem Providing a helpful distraction from bad thoughts Giving you a chance to spend time with friends Improving your sleep
Meet with a therapist. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a specialized type of therapy that targets your bad thoughts at their roots. While it’s often used to help combat certain mental illnesses (e.g., depression, anxiety, etc.), CBT can be an effective treatment for anyone experiencing negative thinking. In short, CBT is all about identifying and restructuring negative thoughts into something more productive. Click or tap here to find a CBT therapist near you.
Types of Negative Thoughts
All-or-nothing thoughts All-or-nothing thoughts leave you trapped in a web of perfectionism. You either do something perfectly, or you completely miss the mark: there is no middle ground. “I missed two problems on my quiz. I totally screwed up!” “I didn’t finish clearing out my inbox today. What a total waste of an afternoon!”
Filtered thoughts Filtered thoughts remove all the positive elements of a situation so you can only see things in a negative light. Your teacher compliments you on making so much progress on a project, but you only focus on what you haven’t completed yet. Your piano teacher mentions all the improvements you’ve made on a piece, but you can only think about the mistakes you made during your performance.
Woulda-coulda-shoulda thoughts Instead of accepting past events for what they are, you beat yourself up for what you “should’ve” done in the situation. “I can’t believe I forget to pick Jamie up from school. I should’ve set an alarm for myself.” “How could I have messed up that question on the exam? I knew I should’ve listened to my gut.”
Fortune-telling thoughts You tend to see the glass as perpetually half-empty, and often make negative, unfounded predictions about your future. Because of this, you tend to achieve negative results. “I know I’m going to get bad marks on that employee assessment tomorrow.” “I have a feeling I’m going to bomb the presentation)
Self-blaming thoughts You accept responsibility for actions and circumstances that aren’t your fault. “It’s my fault you got a flat tire—I should’ve known there were potholes on this road.” “I’m so sorry you got hurt while you were out on your bike ride. It’s my fault that I wasn’t there to help you.”
Minimizing thoughts You find ways to excuse good things that happen—positive events are just a “fluke.” “That promotion wasn’t a big deal. It was just luck that I ended up getting it.” “Mr. Taylor must’ve been tired when he was grading—that’s the only reason I got an A.”
“Mind reading” thoughts You assume negative things about a given person or situation, even if you don’t have any proof to back up your suspicions. “Lisa must think I’m such a loser.” “I can feel it in my gut—today’s gonna be a bad day.”
Catastrophizing thoughts You assume the worst possible outcome in a scenario, even if there’s no evidence to support your concerns. “It’s been 2 hours since my manager entered that meeting. I bet she’s talking about firing me.” “It’s been a week since I handed in my term paper. I must be getting a terrible grade.”
Self-critical thoughts You attach negative, undeserved labels to yourself because of slip-ups you think you’ve made. “I’m such an unlikable person—no wonder I have no friends.” “I’m so awkward and weird. There’s no way I’ll ever find someone who accepts me.”
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