Stopping Negative Thoughts

How to Stop Negative Thoughts

Break the Habit

Stopping negative thoughts takes patience and training. Since pessimistic thinking is a habit, step one is to catch yourself when these thoughts begin to occur. Once you start to notice them, you can try to verify them to convince yourself that they're not true. Test Your Negative Thoughts.

 

Your destructive thoughts aren't based on reason, but no matter how much you tell yourself that, it's seems impossible to stop them. This is why you need to go a little further and start gathering proof that will convince you that these thoughts are false.
 

Step by Step Instructions to Test Your Negative Thoughts

 

Step 1 - Take a wide category of negative thinking and break it down. Don't begin working on all of your negative thoughts at once. It takes time to learn how to stop them, so start slowly. For example, you may choose to work on your poor body image or the thought pattern, "I am unlucky."

 

Step 2 – Using your wide category, think about all the thoughts that come under each subcategory. Take the poor body image example. Your thought pattern might be something like "I can't wear tight blouses because they accentuate my small breasts" or "everyone pays attention to my cute best friend and not me," or “I’m not pretty." Make a list of these thoughts on a piece of paper.

 

Step 3 - On another piece of paper, write down facts that will negate that thought. For example, for the thought "I’m not pretty,“ you might write that nobody has ever said you weren’t pretty. You can also write something like "I don't judge people solely on looks, so why would they judge me that way?"

See how this is working? Writing down the evidence forces you to view your life objectively and learn how to stop negative thoughts by seeing whether your thoughts are based on fact. A feeling that people think you're not pretty isn’t sufficient. This is the time for cold, hard facts. We've all heard the occasional hurtful remark, but when you put the facts on paper, you'll discover that your thoughts are more illogical than you first realized!

What Now?
It takes time for your irrational feelings to catch up with your rational brain, so you will need to regularly repeat this process to learn how to stop negative thoughts. Eventually, you'll find that it is possible to stop such thoughts, and that your negative thinking habit becomes much more realistic.

Author: A native of the Midwest farm country in Iowa, Marcia Ripperger has lived in a number of locations. She has resided in Chicago, Illinois; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and Minneapolis, Minnesota., Living in rural and metropolitan areas taught Marcia to always look for the best opportunities each community could offer. She now lives in a rural area of Minnesota that has a small city flare and closeness to the land. . Marcia has work in the corporate world outside of her home and has various home based businesses over the years. She holds a degree in business management and is CMOM certified. Marcia is the owner of a Work At Home Choices LLC along with being the founder founder and publisher of " Christian Work From Moms and Grandparents" She is a well known published and featured author through out the internet.

 

Gifts for Him Ideas on Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day Gifts for Him

With Valentine's Day right around the corner, you are sure to be scouring your mind, trying to find the perfect gift for your man. Don't worry, you aren't the only one struggling. In fact, most women have an issue picking the perfect Valentine's Day gift for their boyfriend or husband.
The most important thing to think about is your guy's personality. Think about what they enjoy and get them something fun or useful that goes along with their interests. Show them you understand what they like. Let's take a look at a few different types of men and a few great gift ideas for each.
If your man is the well dressed type, you may jump to the default gift idea of a new tie. While that could be very nice if you pick one that has meaning, try some of these other great ideas he will be sure to love. Many men own a lot of ties but only one or two sets of cufflinks. Cufflinks can make for a very classy gift and you can take your time picking out some that will have special meaning to him. Find some that will leave him thinking of you every time he sees them. Another option is a new dress watch. Watches are considered the most important accessory for many men, meaning you can make a huge impact by picking a great watch. Be sure to take a look at what he already has to get an idea of his style. For bonus points get a special message engraved on the watch to remind him how much you care every time he puts it on.

Does your guy live an active lifestyle? Does he enjoy camping, hiking, and the outdoors? There are several great items that the camping enthusiast will love. As his girl, you've probably noticed something he needs even if you haven't realized it. Have you found yourself upset by his old, muddy hiking boots that don't seem to be doing the job anymore? Has his tent sprung a leak, leaving your head soaking wet halfway through the night? These types of gifts could be perfect for him. For extra points, plan a special getaway for the two of you using his new gift. Perhaps a special camping trip to test out his new tent or a picnic at the end of a nice hike.

Does your boyfriend or husband love technology? This one can be tough since many of the newer electronics are fairly expensive, but there are still quite a few great options. With the tablet craze coming on strong, that is a great choice for a guy that loves gadgets. The iPad is considered top of the line when it comes to tablets with a big screen, lots of special features, and tons of apps available. If the iPad is a bit out of your price range, there are other options though. Amazon has released their own tablet, the Kindle Fire, which is under half the price of the iPad and is a very strong tablet. If video games are more his thing there are a few great options including Nintendo's 3D handhold system, the 3DS. He can play all of his favorite Nintendo games in 3D and you don't even need 3D glasses. The Xbox Kinect is also very popular and offers a great chance for the two of you to get up and play together, no controller needed!

Just remember, think about what he likes. Find something he will find fun or useful and try and add your own personal flavor to it. Show him you understand him and give him a gift that will remind him of you every time you use it!

New Year’s Resolutions You Will Want to Keep

Diet New Year’s Resolutions You Will Want to Keep

Each year people around the world resolve to take better care of their health. They often make blanket statements like “this year I resolve to eat better.” Unfortunately, such broad resolutions are difficult to keep. They’re not specific enough to follow through on. If you’re looking for a diet New Year’s resolution you will want to keep, consider these seven resolutions.

#1 I resolve to stop drinking soda and sugary drinks
So many people around the world drink their calories. This sugar is hard on your health. It adds unnecessary weight and it affects blood sugar levels. Resolve to eliminate soda and sugary drinks from your diet. You may eliminate several hundred calories a day from this simple adjustment.

#2 I resolve to eat fruits and vegetables with every meal and snack

If you add a fruit or a vegetable to every meal and snack, you’re much closer to meeting your daily requirement. It’s not as difficult as you might think. You can have fruits or veggies for your snacks. Add an apple or berries to your breakfast. A smoothie can have as many as three servings of fruit or vegetables.
Add greens to lunch and dinner and you’re well on your way to getting the nutrients your body needs each day.

#3 Resolve to try a new fruit or vegetable each month

Scientists have found that people who eat a variety of fruits and vegetables are healthier. Many people become stuck in a rut with their fruits and vegetables. When you add a new one to your diet each month, you’re broadening your nutritional horizons.

#4 Resolve to switch to whole grain bread

Swap your white bread for whole grain bread. This is an easy change to make and it’ll add more healthy whole grains to your diet. You can amplify this whole grain change and switch to steel cut oats and brown rice instead of instant oatmeal and white rice. Small changes make a big difference.

#5 Resolve to eat fewer sweets

If you’re like many people you probably have several sugary snacks each day. Resolve to cut back. That may begin by tracking how many snacks you normally eat each day. Cut back to one snack each day or one sugary snack each week.

#6 Resolve to drink a glass of green tea each day

Green tea has been shown to provide fantastic health benefits. Add a glass of green tea to your day. Drink it in the morning or have a glass in the afternoon. If you’re sensitive to caffeine then don’t drink it in the evening. Green tea does have a small amount of caffeine.

#7 Resolve to stop eating in the evenings

People often make poor eating decisions in the evening. Drink a glass of water. Find something interesting to do to distract yourself. If you must eat due to hunger, then eat something high in fiber like a banana or whole grain cereal.
As you’re looking forward to your New Year and contemplating resolutions, be specific. Help yourself achieve success by setting specific goals designed to help you lose weight and get healthier.