Practical Strategies to Channel Negative Thoughts and Elevate Your Mental Well-Being
Is overthinking making it difficult for you to stay productive?
Are hurtful remarks from others weighing you down and impacting your performance?
Do you find it hard to feel excited or truly happy about your achievements?
During a recent coaching session, a high-performing participant shared that he often felt dismayed when people made rude or hurtful remarks. These negative thoughts distracted him for 20-30 minutes, impacting his work output and his relationships with his family. Despite being hardworking, warm, and caring, his analytical nature led him to overthink and fall into a negative space.
In another instance, a young fresher in a corporate training program expressed the same issue. Living away from family and being an introvert, he found that overthinking affected his mental well-being and performance. Overthinking, if not channeled properly, can lead to various mental health issues and the loss of financial and social security.
According to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), traits such as ‘sensing’, ‘thinking’, and ‘judging’ can lead to high cognitive load. Here are a few methods to help individuals with ‘Thinking’ and ‘Judging’ traits channel their thoughts towards positive change:
- Positive Thoughts: Analyzing and understanding matters is beneficial, but excessive worrying is not. Arisuddan, in his podcast on the Mahabharata | The Retellings, mentioned the importance of “pondering” or practicing “chintan” rather than worrying or “chinta”. As the Hindi saying goes, “Chinta se chitta ban ti hai” (Worry leads to the funeral pyre).
- Compound Effect: Surround yourself with happy, positive, and calming thoughts. Ensure your environment is clean and reflects health and joy. The cumulative effect of positive thinking can help you avoid negativity and toxic influences. A positive environment and supportive friends can help you quickly regain a sense of well-being.
- Grounding Methods: Find rituals that help you anchor yourself in the present. Personally, I use music and bhajans as a grounding method. Slow, deep breathing, connecting with nature, visualizing waterfalls and clear blue skies, listening to spiritual songs, and practicing morning or night meditation routines can help you stay grounded.
- Exercise: Regular physical activity can effectively counteract chemical imbalances and boost dopamine levels. In our technology-driven world, our bodies often do not get enough physical exertion, leading to increased stress levels. Exercising 3-5 times a week can significantly improve your mental health.
- Avoid Negativity: Whether it’s negative people, news, or media content, keep a safe distance if you are emotionally affected by negativity. Your mind is your sanctuary, and it is up to you to protect it from negative influences.
Being a knowledge worker in a competitive environment is challenging, as you are constantly bombarded with information, requests, demands, notifications, calls, and messages. If you still feel overwhelmed by depressive thoughts consider seeing a professional psychologist or councillor. The world is full of kind and helpful people. However, by taking one step at a time towards positivity, you can maintain calm and composure in the present. You are the captain of your ship, and choosing to have good thoughts is the first step towards a better life.
