All humans share the universal experience of worry, fear, and negative thoughts.  We all worry about our futures, over-analyze, overthink, and most of us have abundant negative thoughts crossing our minds for much of any given day..

More often than not, trying to stop these thoughts will only cause more anxiety and negativity. Remind yourself that it’s okay if they cross your mind from time to time – all you need to do is learn how to deal with them so they don’t overwhelm your life.

Ask yourself what’s the good in any situation

It’s a fact that humans do tend to overthink and create awful scenarios in our heads, thinking that there is no good in the situation we’re in. But most often, that’s not actually the case. There are good sides to many bad situations, and you can learn so you can grow. You just need to ask yourself ‘What the one good thing is in this situation?’, teach yourself to observe what the lesson is in this situation, what you can do differently next time in order to avoid the situation.

Practice gratitude

Feeling grateful can have a massive impact on your happiness levels. The times where you experience challenges and setbacks are the most important moments to be grateful for what you have. List all the things you’re grateful for in the morning or during the evening. Don’t forget that your situation is temporary and don’t ignore the good things in your life while battling it.

Keep a journal

Start keeping a journal of your thoughts and moods. This way you can easily identify them. Later, go back and challenge them. Ask yourself if those negative thoughts were useful? Were they even true? Did they help you take some actions or are they just toxic? These questions will help you stay calm and will give you a reasonable approach to look at your negative feelings.

Don’t be hard on yourself

The best way to stop your negative thoughts from lurking in your mind is to stop being hard on yourself. It’s okay if you don’t meet your deadline, or if you skip going to the gym today. Don’t beat yourself up. Nobody is perfect so stop trying to be that. Stop putting yourself under that much pressure.

Practice mindful meditation

The perfect way to detach yourself from your negative thoughts is to practice mindful meditation. Meditating for 15 minutes a day can have a tremendous positive impact on your mental health. You’ll learn to acknowledge your thoughts and then to let them go.

If you’re new to meditation you can try a guided meditation. There are tons of apps and videos that you can play, sit comfortably and start listening to the instruction to experience your breath.

Focus on the good things

If you’re not able to shut off your brain, why not try to distract it? Take a break, listen to your favorite songs, read a book or watch something funny. Talk to your friends, share your thoughts and ask them for a positive perspective. Make yourself a decadent  meal and enjoy your own company.

And remember that there is no point to lose yourself in negative thoughts – overthinking any situation will not help it.What matters is the action you’re taking to change the situation you’re in. Always stay positive.

Author’s Bio:

 After an incredible career working for B companies like Live Earth and Headspace, and travelling the world, Nikki now lives on a 1901 homestead in NW Montana with her partner,

twin teen girls, a herd of goats, chickens and two dogs.  Like most folks  in Montana, Nikki doesn’t “do” just one thing. She is the founder of Glad.is – a guide to intentional living & mindfulness, and co-owner  of Tobacco River Ranch Glamping