Negative thoughts are thoughts that stand in the way of good health. The road to self-improvement is a constant journey that requires regular maintenance. I am consistently being challenged to find more ways to persevere through obstacles that arise and it sometimes triggers me to react negatively. My thoughts and fears take over and send me on a downward spiral of self-doubt and uncertainty. I’ve learned how to channel that energy into practicing mindfulness and meditation and it’s really been essential to my self-help development. However, I don’t always feel like being mindful or meditating every day.

Stop and Redirect Negative Energy

When my thoughts and emotions start taking over and controlling my reactions, I’ve learned to stop and redirect them. The one thing that I’ve learned while practicing meditation is that the mind can drift off if you let distractions deter you. You know that you can multitask, you know that you can focus on more than one thing at a time. It’s very easy to lose focus on positivity and the things that matter the most to you. Shifts happen all the time in everyday life, what went well today may not go well tomorrow, and boom! You’re in your head again. Adjusting to shifts in your routine and everyday life isn’t always a quick and easy transition.

PRO TIP: stay vigilant. You cannot allow negative emotions to dictate your life. The moment that you feed into that negative energy, you are creating and building more obstacles and hurdles for yourself. Discipline yourself to stop and redirect that energy somewhere. Channel it into something else that will emote positive results and energy.

Write Your Negative Thoughts Down

My head can easily get clogged attempting to process every single thought and feeling that you have. Painfully overwhelming! What makes it more difficult is trying to sort out those feelings and emotions all at once. It’s too much! How can I solve my problems when I can’t even clearly think about them? Writing down thoughts, feelings, and fears can and will declutter your mind, giving me at least a moment of peace. Writing has always been a safe haven for anyone to be able to speak their mind freely.

PRO TIP: write it down and read it to yourself aloud. Decide if it’s worth holding on to. If your answer is yes, stop and redirect. If your answer is no, ball up your piece of paper with your thoughts and feelings, and throw it away. Let go of that feeling of wanting to think and react negatively.

See also: How to Reduce Stress and Self-Care Everyday

Negative Thoughts are Normal

There’s no way that I should be expecting myself to be perfect, yet I still do. I’ve trained myself that I should expect nothing but excellence. I’m a planner and an organizer. In my mind, I think that I have what it takes to be perfect. Truth is, it’s impossible for anyone to be perfect. However, for some odd reason, I think that I’m supposed to handle every thought and feeling perfect. I’ve since learned that I need to take a moment, stop and redirect. Realistically I cannot think that everything that I do or every emotion that I have is going to be positive. Especially while on a path to self-improvement because

*spoiler alert*: it doesn’t happen overnight. I’m going to stop blaming myself every time something goes wrong. I’m also going to discipline myself to stop blaming others every time something goes wrong. PRO TIP: the plan is to always continue moving forward. It’s never personal, it’s a challenge. Don’t question the challenge (no matter how difficult it may be). Stop and redirect. Know that you are deserving of a happy life and believe it!

Consistent Work Will Decrease Negative Thoughts

One thing that I know for sure is that I can never give up on improving the way that I want to live my life. Negative thoughts come and go and they only linger if you fuel that energy. Stop giving life to things that don’t make your life better! Consistently putting in the work to defeat negativity and the pessimist views that it brings is going to require great discipline. Implement discipline and routine practice daily to stay focused and on track to meeting the goals that I want to meet and attain. In the beginning, it may be rough, but you’ve got to see it through by staying consistent. PRO TIP: repetition is key.

I’m taking control over what consumes my mind and I encourage anyone else who hasn’t been in control of their thoughts to also do the same. I’m human, you’re human. Discipline yourself to stop and redirect negative energy. Continue to move forward even when you’re feeling like you’re not ready for the challenge. Stay consistent and develop a high level of focusing on what positively impacts your life.