“Stop whining”, “Pull yourself together”, “Smile”, “Many people are much less fortunate than you”, “Just forget about it”, “Keep it simple”... All these countless phrases are uttered by the people around you, seemingly with the most friendly intentions. It’s as if depression and anxious ideas will leave your head with the wave of a magic wand. As if these phrases will solve all problems. Some people who advise how to take your mind off bad thoughts, moreover, often have false ideas about the recipients of their parting words. They tend to consider depression a common whim.

Are there any chances of winning the fight against negative thinking?

If everything were as simple as these advisers think, then pessimists would not exist in principle - after all, who is capable of consciously choosing suffering for themselves? Even if this happens, then, most likely, such a person simply wants to get rid of even more fear and pain.

Nowadays, almost everyone has heard about the importance of techniques such as meditation, physical exercise, relaxation and staying in the “here and now”. The catch is this: all of these practices are a challenge that is almost impossible to take on when you are anxious or depressed.

However, there are ways that once again prove a simple truth. People who often suffer from negative thoughts must have much greater willpower compared to those who are simply generous with " useful tips" After all, fighting depression requires a lot of self-control. The basis for the use of these methods is the skill of switching attention and concentrating it on a certain type of mental activity.

Evolutionary functions of the brain

To understand how focusing on solving, for example, logarithmic equations can help overcome depression, it is necessary to dwell a little on the structure of the human brain. The fact is that, according to one of the theories belonging to the American researcher Paul MacLean, it has three sections. They differ in the time of formation and perform different functions.

The oldest part of the human brain has been figuratively called the “reptile brain.” Its function is to implement a program of behavior in a life- or health-threatening situation. This reaction, as in all living organisms, can be of two types: to flee or to fight.

The next part that was formed during evolution is called the “mammal brain.” She is responsible for emotions and feelings, as well as for receiving pleasure.

And finally, the pinnacle of evolution is the neocortex - the part that, in fact, distinguishes humans from animals. This part of the brain is responsible for logical analysis, abstract thinking and performing other operations unique to Homo Sapiens.

The human brain and anxiety

All three of these brains are equally necessary for a person - it cannot be said, for example, that the reptile brain is less important than the human brain. After all, if he did not fulfill his function, a person would not be afraid of obvious threats to life and would not take the necessary measures in a truly emergency situation. But the fact is that over millions of years of evolution, the reptile’s brain is so accustomed to reacting in a stereotyped manner, within the framework of the “fight or flight” instruction, that it often cannot distinguish fiction from reality. The more pronounced the state of anxiety or aggression, the stronger the influence of the “reptile brain” on a person.

To figure out how to get rid of bad thoughts in your head, you must first understand the mechanism of action of different parts of the brain. Having arisen at different times, they correspond to different levels of development of living beings. In order not to turn into an animal limited in its consciousness, it is necessary to use such a tool as distraction.

Distraction methods

How can this be done? Let's look at several ways that will help in moments of anxiety or worry to transfer the “reins of power” from the reptilian brain to the conscious and thinking part that every person possesses.

• Firstly, it can be performing simple mathematical operations in the mind: for example, multiplying the first two numbers that catch your eye. You can distract yourself by remembering your friends’ birthdays or the brands of their cars;
• Next, you can list five professions starting with the same letter. This could also be a listing of five flowers or plants, favorite foods, fruits. Try to remember five luminous objects, or five things with a soft surface. By the time you do several of these exercises in a row, the negative ones will have lost most of their power;
• Try to take a good photo. It could be something from your surroundings, or even a selfie. Not only will the act of taking a photo help you take your mind off things, but the photo itself can have a calming effect.

This is not to say that using these methods will be easy for everyone. Most likely, doing them will be one of the last things you want to do while negative thoughts are overwhelming. However, once you overcome this emotional barrier and show due diligence, you will soon be able to enjoy the realization of power over all the negative thoughts that attack you.

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Negative thoughts, how to distract yourself? A person is what he thinks. In this article we will talk about how to distract yourself from negative thoughts. Here you will find the most effective ways to cope with obsessive thoughts that poison our lives.

Every person has periods in life when he is sucked into the abyss of negative thoughts, which sometimes turn into obsessive ones. We replay them in our heads over and over again. This poisons our lives, our mood deteriorates, we fall into depression and despair. Life becomes unbearable, devoid of joy.

An obsessive thought, like a projection of your fantasy.

We all know that thought is material. What always happens to us is what we think about, what we fear most. And when we get stuck in negative thoughts, life turns completely black.

Before we talk about how to overcome such thoughts, let's first understand why this happens to us. Why do we get hung up on bad thoughts and can't just let it go?

Obsessive negative thoughts are a kind of bad habit. A person understands that it is harmful to his health, but cannot get rid of it. Obsessive thoughts can bother a person for several days, and sometimes months. These may be certain fears, grievances, experiences, painful memories.

But what’s most interesting is that when time passes and these thoughts disappear, the person realizes that these thoughts did not pose any threat to him. Often, after a while a person realizes that the thoughts that poisoned his life long time, this is generally dust and you shouldn’t even think about them.

Negative obsessive thoughts arise in a person’s mind involuntarily, against his will. A person is aware of pain, these thoughts are accompanied by depression and anxiety.

Causes of obsessive thoughts:

1. Most often, the cause of obsessive thoughts is stress. No matter how a person tries to forget a difficult situation, it is still reproduced in the memory again and again.
2. Obsessive thoughts can arise as a consequence of psychological trauma.
3. The cause may be severe fatigue and exhaustion of the nervous system.

Negative thoughts: how to distract yourself?

“You need not to get rid of thoughts, but to direct your attention to them: what they are about, immerse yourself in them and find the reason from which they come. Perhaps this is some event in your life that gives rise to fear in you... You need to figure out the reason. And then the “bad thoughts” will go away on their own.”
D. Krok Freeskiing

1. Give yourself compliments, praise yourself. As soon as a negative thought comes to you, start saying the phrase in your head: “Shut up immediately.” Then start complimenting yourself. This is the method of psychologist V.K. Nevyarovich, who described this method in the book “Soul Therapy”.
2. Having the right attitude will help you distract yourself from negative thoughts. Always say confidently: I can! I can do it!
3. Relaxation will help you take your mind off bad thoughts. You need to relax your body and have fun. Our body immediately reacts to negative thoughts. Wrinkles appear, the corners of our lips droop, we look 5 years older. Go for a massage, take a bath with aromatic oils, visit a beauty salon, go to the pool, get some sleep. Yoga and meditation will help you with this.
4. You can get rid of bad thoughts if you throw them out. Don't hold back your emotions, cry, shout out, or talk to a person you trust. In the process of talking through the problem, many things become clear and resolve themselves.
5. You can write down all your negative thoughts on paper and burn them. This is a kind of ritual of cleansing and letting go of the situation.
6. Imagine your thoughts very small. Squeeze them in your fist so hard that they crumble and scatter them in the wind.
7. The nature of the problem needs to be established. Analyze when problems with negative and obsessive thoughts began. You must clearly understand what is happening to you. Hopeless situations does not happen and your emotional state can be changed. Some people have been haunted by negative thoughts since childhood, this develops in them a common negative attitude to yourself and the world around you.
8. To get rid of negative thoughts, you need to recognize your fears. Often your fears are instilled in you by your parents or others. You may have often been told: “You are a failure, you are poor, you have no talent, etc.” Such phrases sit in a person’s head, he begins to believe and feel in them and behave accordingly. To get rid of this kind of thoughts, you need to write down all your achievements and joys, even the smallest ones. This will show you what you really are and distract you from the bad thoughts in your head.
9. The main cause of obsessive thoughts is anxiety. People worry all the time about everything. These thoughts are exhausting, although often there is no real reason for concern. In this case, it is necessary to control the obsession, this means not talking about it, not allowing yourself to think about bad things. You can distract yourself from negative obsessive thoughts by doing something important matter, start singing or repeating the multiplication table in your head.
10. The main reason for negative thoughts is the inability to be in the present moment. We can only worry when we think about the future and we are only upset by what has already happened, that is, the past. Therefore, in order to distract yourself from bad, restless thoughts, you need to not think about the future. Believing in yourself and having a positive attitude will help you take your mind off any negative thoughts.
11. Controlling your thoughts will help you not only to distract yourself from them, but also to get rid of them forever. You must understand that only you can help yourself. Write down on paper your greatest fear and what will happen if it comes true. For example, I won't be able to repay the loan. What will happen? They will start calling and threatening. What will I do? I'll contact a specialist. Which will restructure the loan. What if they go to court? In this case, they will break the loan into parts, and it will be easier for me to repay it. Any problem can be analyzed and analyzed this way. Then it won’t seem so scary, because there is a way out of any situation.
12. Repeat the phrase in your head: “Everything passes and this will pass.”
13. Learn to correctly understand life priorities. There is nothing more important and valuable than your life. Everything else is dust that will dissipate and be forgotten.
14. Never compare yourself to others! You have your own life and your own life mission. You can gain experience by example. successful people, but don’t try on their life. Envy is a source of obsessive dark thoughts.
15. Don't get stuck in the past! You must love and forgive yourself. It is no longer possible to change what happened, so why torture yourself. There is no need to remember failures. Concentrate better on what you can do.
16. Learn to control your emotions. You need to accept the situation in a neutral way, then any thought is perceived simply as food for thought. You yourself color situations with your emotions.
17. Learn to forgive yourself and your loved ones. If you received negative attitudes from their parents, then they must understand that they simply did not know how to live differently.
18. To distract yourself from bad thoughts, keep yourself busy interesting project. You can draw pictures, start writing a book, develop a business plan. When a person is busy with something interesting, he does not have time to think about bad things.
19. Write plans for the future. Write down point by point what you want to do a month in advance. Planning will help you get rid of constant worry and take your mind off negative thoughts.
20. Psychologists recommend punishing yourself every time a bad thought comes to you. For example, put a rubber band on your hand and when a bad thought appears, pull it back and hit yourself on the hand with the rubber band. It sounds crazy, but our brain begins to understand that a negative thought will be punished, and such thoughts will be reduced less and less often.
21. Accepting a thought means ceasing to fight it. Learn not to drive away thoughts, but to find positive aspects your problem.
22. When negative thoughts overwhelm you, remember a time when you were happy. Keep this picture in your head and reproduce it every time a bad thought appears.
23. Think about it, maybe you have a secondary benefit from intrusive thoughts. For example, by constantly thinking about one situation, you avoid thinking about something else. Perhaps there are problems that are more important to you, but you are afraid to think about them. We need to recognize this disguise.
24. Very often, obsessive negative thoughts are the reason to consider yourself unhappy and this relieves you of some responsibilities. For example, a person believes that he cannot find a job until he gets rid of obsessive thoughts. This is a secondary benefit. Intrusive thoughts are an excuse. In fact, a person simply does not want to look for a job.
25. Obsessive thoughts cause a lot of stress, so to cope with them, you need to learn to relax with every cell of your body. Relaxation meditation will help you best.
26. If you believe in God, prayer for protection from bad thoughts will help you cope with a bad mood and relieve despondency. Take good care of your soul. Take care of spiritual purity, because any thought is material and it is the first step towards the abyss. Words of prayer have enormous healing power. Whenever you feel a negative thought overpowering you, pray.

Conclusion

As you can see, there are many ways to work through, get rid of, or distract yourself from negative thoughts. The most important thing is to have desire and faith in yourself. If you cannot distract yourself from negative thoughts on your own, visit a psychotherapist.

We all know how material our thoughts are, so if we constantly think about something bad, turning our thinking into viscous chewing gum, do not be surprised if the troubles from your rich imagination begin to come true. This is where the question arises, how to distract yourself from bad thoughts.

Where do they come from

Before you can distract yourself from bad thoughts, you need to realize that every negative thought is an emotion. Moreover, that emotion that is associated with your fears and complexes. They come from those times when you were defenseless in front of parents, teachers, adults, and the world of complex childhood relationships. Very often, such thoughts signal that some problem needs to be solved, but sometimes it happens that some settings in the psyche are lost and ordinary concern for health turns into hypochondria, and the instinct of self-preservation develops into paranoia.

This can happen after a series of stresses or after one of your relatives or friends falls ill with a serious illness. The main thing you need to understand if you are overcome by such thoughts is that they cannot be eradicated by logic or simply pushed out of your head. Everything is much more complicated.

Live life to the fullest

One of the most simple ways take your mind off obsessive thoughts. Find another job, come up with an interesting hobby, organize events, exercise social activities, create. If you don't have personal life, fall in love and go on dates, match single friends, introduce people. Don’t refuse interesting events and go somewhere more often.

You can even go not to distant islands or on excursions, but to a neighboring city where there is something interesting. This may not radically solve the problem of obsessive thoughts, but who knows, maybe after six months of active life you will remember what bothered you so much just recently and you will understand how ridiculous it was.

First, turn on the logic

As was already said above, it is not very necessary and it will not be possible to drive away negative thoughts by force, but at the first stage it will come in handy. Come up with clear, concise arguments against obsessive thoughts. Don’t argue with yourself – this will drag you even further into the abyss of unpleasant thoughts. Just say: “I am healthy and the tests have proven it” if you have a fear of getting sick. If you feel like you have enemies, tell yourself that no one is trying to harm you, etc.

And finally, realize that if there is a problem, then you need to solve it, and not think about it constantly and torment yourself with it. Try to ignore these thoughts and be indifferent to them. If you don't give them an emotional boost, they will eventually leave. How to do this? Don’t scold yourself or forcefully switch, but just relax and let them flow freely.

Our consciousness is still a troll, and in order for it to calm down, you just need to not feed it! Try to remember your intrusive thoughts when you are in a good mood or when everything is going your way. Then you will perfectly understand their absurdity.

Learn to distract yourself

Let you have a hobby and be able to switch to it. A good hobby is physical education. Even if you don’t recognize sports clubs, try standing up and doing squats when negative thoughts come flooding in. Or do push-ups. Or do abs. It’s just that when the body tenses up, emotions are turned off, which means fear has nothing to feed on.

Punish yourself

Not best way, but if you are used to tough measures, it will do. Try putting a thin rubber band on your hand and at the first hint of obsessive thoughts, hit yourself with it on the hand, and it hurts. This will not radically solve the problem, but it will help you survive until the evening without panic.

Turn on your imagination

Visualization will help you. You can imagine that you are a big and bright ball full of positive energy. At the same time, imagine your negative thoughts in the form of funny and absurd insects, stupidly swarming around this ball. Notice their absurdity. Take a look from the outside and see how funny they are.

If your negative thoughts are related to how bad you are, you can remember your victories and your strengths. Self-confidence will perfectly help you cope with obsessive thoughts about your inferiority. For every negative thought there is a positive one and this search is worth doing.

Think about what will happen if what you are so afraid of happens. After this, thoughts will no longer scare you so much.

Take a break

Find an activity that requires a lot of intelligence, attention and concentration. It could be mind game, writing articles, etc. The main thing is that you get involved in a complex and interesting business and this will prevent annoying thoughts from overpowering you.

Some ladies advise being distracted by heart-warming TV series, where there are a lot of strong emotions. There is something in this: after crying over someone else’s grief, we will be distracted from our annoying demons.

Stop being afraid of the future. Perhaps it doesn’t exist, or maybe we ourselves can create it. Make bold plans for the near future, where the important point is the fulfillment of your desires. And implement it!

Many scientists, having conducted a series of studies, have made surprising conclusions. It turned out that people who carry with them for a long time negative emotions, are exposed to various diseases much more often than optimists. Let's look in this article at how to distract attention from bad thoughts to something bright. And how to change Bad mood for good.

Let's first look at a few important points regarding what you should do if negativity has settled in your soul and everything is annoying.

How to distract yourself from bad thoughts

• Don't act like nothing bad is happening. After all, any life situation needs analysis.
• Don't put yourself in anyone else's shoes. If something happened to one of your friends, then try not to focus your attention on it. Shut off negative thoughts.
• Don't keep bad thoughts inside. Try to find a way out for all negative emotions. There are situations when you just need to scream or cry.
• If it seems to you that everything is very bad for you and it simply cannot get worse, then drive away all bad thoughts from yourself and try to picture your near future in a rosy light. After all, life is wonderful!
• You should not consider all minor troubles and failures as your failure. Try to ignore all useless information. If you have been rude to public transport, then most likely it’s not about you at all, but about the fact that something happened to your offender and someone has already ruined his mood and he, in turn, decided to take it out on you.
• If you begin to notice that you do not expect anything bright and good from your life, then urgently change your worldview.
• Don’t cherish your bad mood, don’t collapse on the sofa with thoughts that no one needs you and you don’t need anything else. Try to distract yourself. Any housework, visiting friends or acquaintances, visiting the theater, exhibitions, etc. are suitable for these purposes. You can also change your environment and make new acquaintances. Plunging into new sensations, you will forget about your blues.
• If you have depression, this does not mean that you need to eat to your heart’s content or, conversely, not eat anything for days. Remember that you should eat a hot dish at least once a day. The body needs food and vitamins. Bananas, raisins, vegetables, basil, celery, hazelnuts, coriander, sea fish are famous for their ability to change your mood for the better.
• In order for you to overcome your negative emotions, you need to: treat chronic diseases, if any, get a good night’s sleep, do only what you love, and radiate kindness to others.

Now you know how to distract yourself from accumulated negativity. If you take the advice of famous psychologists, then try not to neglect your problems, otherwise they can grow and become overgrown like a snowball, but analyze the problem and try to solve it. After all, only by finding a suitable solution will you get rid of all bad thoughts. Look to the future, enjoy life. Be that as it may, she is still beautiful. The sun is shining, the air is fresh, which means there is reason to rejoice. We wish you good luck and always a good mood!

The desire to be distracted is a natural reaction that often occurs when we want to avoid some unpleasant or negative moments in life. For example, when we experience physical or mental pain, some of us become distracted in unhealthy ways—getting addicted, self-harming, overeating, and the like. But distracting activities can also be beneficial, especially if addiction or other harmful behavior has become a habit. Distractions will help you stop using drugs by giving you time to turn your attention to something else. When you distract yourself in the right way, it helps you pass the time, redirect your attention, or calm down. Thus, entertainment, relaxation techniques, etc. will help you take your mind off things.

Steps

Choosing the right ways to distract yourself

Keep in mind that distraction can be healthy or unhealthy. Distraction is a mechanism we use to avoid difficulties or emotional overload. Some unhealthy distractions include eating fast food when stressed or consuming alcohol and drugs. For example, to deal with anger management problems, a person may turn to drugs to numb overwhelming emotions.

Acknowledge the emotions you are experiencing. It would be more correct to accept and part with those negative feelings what you are experiencing. You can still resort to distractions, but keep in mind that this will only distract you from the problem at hand. This way you will only hide and ignore the negative emotions you are experiencing.

Recognize that distraction can help you overcome bad habits. If you are suffering from an addiction, try to distract yourself so you don't make it worse. The desire for distraction means that you have realized how harmful it is to indulge your addiction. You make a conscious decision to approach your addiction constructively.

• Count to 100 to pass the time when you feel like taking drugs or drinking alcohol.
• Take time out to take a break before dealing with negative emotions.

1. Convert bad habit into a healthy distraction. The natural response to stressful situation or the emotion could be an unhealthy distraction, such as eating a lot of junk food or drinking alcohol. There's nothing wrong with taking a break after making your negative emotions. However, you should do something healthy to treat your body and mind with respect and care. Here are a few things you can do to keep yourself busy:

   • go for a walk;
   • eat a piece of fruit instead of a candy bar;
   • read a book;
   • tidy up your workplace.

2. Play sports. If you experience negative emotions, it’s time to exercise. Walking or cycling will allow you to focus on one thing.

   Get some sleep. During sleep, your mind will become quiet and all active thinking will cease. Lie down on the bed and take a short nap.

Entertainment

Listen to music. Download a new playlist and listen to music. Find a comfortable place to sit and listen carefully to the music. Focus on the lyrics and melody. Try to hear when a particular instrument begins to play.

Watch TV or a movie. Watching TV or a good movie will help you take your mind off pressing problems or thoughts. Completely immerse yourself in the story of the series or film.

• Be sure to choose a movie or series that doesn't remind you of your problems. For example, if you want to take your mind off heartache or a breakup in a relationship, don't watch a movie where a character is breaking up with someone.

1. Play a video game. Video games feature compelling narratives that will draw you into their world. While playing a massively multiplayer game online role-playing game(MMORPG) you can chat with other people and take your mind off pressing problems.

   Read a book. Find a book with a good, juicy story, or re-read a favorite novel. Choose some light reading. If you constantly think about what you read or look in the dictionary, you will lose the thread of the story and become completely confused in the plot.