Does it ever seem like you get stuck in a negative thought pattern? Have you ever found yourself reliving old and painful memories from the past? This negative thinking doesn’t really help, but for some reason, it’s tempting to be “stuck in the past.” However, mindfulness can help with identifying these thought processes.
Why do we get caught up in these negative thinking cycles? One reason is that they are familiar. We like to gravitate to things that we are familiar with, even if they are uncomfortable. Also, these thoughts may reinforce previously held beliefs about us. For instance, saying that we don’t deserve something (such as a promotion), even though on a certain level we know that we do.
Mindfulness holds the potential to help us break these cycles. It allows us to be more aware of what’s happening in the present. This awareness can be used to identify negative thought processes. When we identify those thoughts, we can take steps to change that thinking to something more positive.
How can this be done? Activities such as yoga and meditation are used for creating mindfulness. They require us to slow down and be more attentive to details such as breathing or body position.
This can translate into our everyday lives by paying more attention to when we experience negative thinking. When we do have negative thoughts, we can choose to redirect our focus instead of staying stuck in the negative thought pattern. We can even practice mindfulness in the moment to accomplish this, such as focusing on our breathing instead of what is causing negative thinking.
It should be noted that mindfulness doesn’t actually eliminate the negative thinking. All it really does is help create the awareness. However, it can help with coping with those thoughts when they happen instead of being caught in a negative cycle.
Want to learn more about how mindfulness is used to identify negative thinking? Read the full article here: The Science Behind How Mindfulness can Help Break Negative Thought Patterns.
