We all have those negative thoughts that just keep coming back, no matter how much we try to ignore them. But did you know that ruminating on these thoughts can actually be harmful to your mental health? In this post, we'll explore the dangers of negative thinking and offer some practical tips on how to stop these harmful ruminating thoughts.

What is negative thinking?

Negative thinking can be a destructive force in our lives, leading us to ruminate on past failures or dwell on negative future scenarios. That’s not to say that we should live under the guise of toxic positivity: after all, a one-off negative thought isn’t the problem, and in order to survive, we do need some negative thoughts to help protect us from certain situations. For instance, if you want to make the railroad tracks and the gates are coming down, that isn’t a good time to just be optimistic and ignore any warning bells that go off in your head. But when negative thoughts are highly repetitive, this type of ruminative thinking can be debilitating and make it difficult to move forward in life. 

One of the key elements inherent in negative thinking is uncertainty. The source of uncertainty can come from not knowing which is the best way to perceive – or think or feel – about something, generating a simultaneous sense of deep engagement and frustration. In other words, you would be captivated and upset at the same time. This is what causes rumination: the repetitive, recurrent, persistent and prolonged negative thinking about one's self, feelings, concerns, upsetting experiences, and ongoing uncertainties. 

When our ability to tolerate uncertainty is low, we can deplete our ability to cope. Coping involves the cognitive and behavioral resources—the methods we use to manage internal and external stressors. If you find yourself stuck in a cycle of negative thinking, below are some practical steps you can take to break free from this destructive pattern. The sooner you can implement these practical steps, the better, since the longer you ruminate the more you’ll be depleted. 

The Dangers Of Negative Thinking 

If you're stuck in a negative thought pattern, it can be tough to break out of it. You might find yourself ruminating on the same things over and over, and it can feel like you're never going to get out of the funk. But there are things you can do to put a stop to the draining circling of negative ruminating thoughts. Here are some practical tips: 

1. Identify your triggers. What sets off your negative thinking? Is it someone who ignores you? An expectation you had of someone that didn’t materialize? Once you know what your triggers are, you can start to work on avoiding them or mitigating their impact. 
2. Once you do this, when you notice what you notice, you can then catch yourself thinking these thoughts and challenge them. As you become aware of yourself ruminating, take a step back and examine the content of these thoughts. Are they really true? Is there another way to look at the situation? Might this be a good time to employ some facets of stoicism instead? Challenging your negative thoughts can help you break out of the cycle of rumination. In fact, just by pausing to consider and challenge them, you’ll already be making progress, since you will have slowed down the downward spiral simply by pausing to notice.
3. Focus on the present moment. Rumination often happens when we're dwelling on past events or worrying about future ones. Instead of letting your mind wander, focus on the present moment and what you can do right now. This can help you avoid getting caught up in negativity, or a damaging series of “what if’s”. The easiest way to bring yourself into the present moment is to identify and narrate the facts of your current situation, such as: “I am sitting at my kitchen countertop, typing and drinking seltzer.” Doing so makes you present—which stops you from ruminating about the past and the future. In this way, describing your experience can help you pull out of the tailspin of negativity.

Negative thinking is a destructive habit that can be hard to break out of. But by identifying your triggers, challenging your thoughts, and focusing on the present moment, you can start to move away from rumination and toward a more positive outlook on life.

Additional Strategies For Negative Thinking 

Negative ruminating thoughts are a common problem that many people struggle with. If you're someone who tends to dwell on negative thoughts, you might feel like you can't escape them or that you would struggle to shake them off. However, if you begin with the three practical strategies above of identifying triggers, challenging your thoughts, and focusing on the present moment, you will start to weaken the hold these ruminating thoughts have on you.

As with most skills in life, to become proficient you’ll need a few different tools in your toolbox to dismantle these ruminating thoughts. To amplify the process, here are some ways to add to the toolbox of dealing with chronic negativity.

1. Talk back to your negative thoughts. Once you've caught yourself ruminating on them, try talking back to your negative thoughts. For example, if you're thinking "I'm such a failure," tell yourself "That's not true, I'm doing my best." This will help to challenge the negative thought and start to change your thinking pattern. 
2. Make a list of ways you can distract yourself. A very simple way to stop negative ruminating thoughts is to shift gears and distract yourself with something else. This could be anything from reading a book or taking a walk outside—as long as it takes your mind off the negativity. This works because the distraction takes you into the present by getting you absorbed with something different than just sitting with your negative thoughts. If the present moment is your safe place, these distractions from the rumination can get you there. Having a list of ways to shift gears allows you to have these tools ready to go when they are needed. You can just pick from the list rather than try to figure out what to do.
3. Read books about the subject so you can develop more tools and learn how other people have coped and strategies experts recommend. Two recommendations—classics—are the books The Resilience Factor and The Anxiety and Worry Workbook.
4. Seek professional help if needed. If you find that you can't seem to overcome negative thinking on your own, seek professional help from a licensed therapist or counselor who can assist you in changing your thought patterns. You can also take brief courses designed by professionals that teach you how to break the cycle.  Check out Infijoy’s courses on Overcoming Negativity and Powering Up Your Resilience! 

Why It's Important To Think Positive—3 More Strategies 

1. Perhaps one of the simplest and most effective methods when you find yourself falling into a thinking trap is to try to redirect your thoughts to something more positive. This could be something as simple as thinking about a happy memory, or listing off things you're grateful for—or better yet, finding 3 specific things you are grateful for that have happened in the past 24 hours, and writing them down. It might also help to talk to someone you trust, like a friend or family member, about what's going on. 
2. Practice mindfulness and acceptance. If you find yourself stuck in a negative thought loop, you’ll want to cultivate strategies for witnessing your thoughts in a non-judgmental way. Negative thinking often invites self-criticism and judgment.  Learning how to meditate, particularly with mindfulness meditation, will help you practice becoming a non-judgmental witness to your thoughts rather than piling on with more negativity and  criticism. If you would like to begin learning, Infijoy’s extensive selection of guided meditations for every level will help you gain more control. Experiment with different ones to find a couple that you like, and use them regularly. If you are looking for a deeper dive, you might like this Meditation Challenge course.
3. Finally, the key to breaking free from negative thinking is to be hopeful about your ability to change. Being hopeful is actually something you can learn.  

If you're struggling with negative ruminating thoughts, know that you're not alone and there are things you can do to stop them. With a little effort, you can start thinking more positively and feeling better in no time.

Written by Dr. Dan Tomasulo, an American psychologist, writer, and professor, and the Academic Director and core faculty at the Spirituality Mind Body Institute, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York. He is the author of Learned Hopefulness: The Power of Positivity to Overcome Depression. Dan’s passion is positive psychology and the science of happiness, helping people focus on their strengths and cultivating their best selves so they can lead meaningful and fulfilling lives.

All of the content on our website is thoroughly researched to ensure that the information shared is evidence-based. For more information, please visit the academic journals that influenced this article: Reflecting On Rumination: Consequences, Causes, Mechanisms And Treatment Of Rumination; Constructive And Unconstructive Repetitive Thought; Coping Mechanisms.