Break the addiction to negative thoughts

Most people attempt to create a new personal reality while being the same person they were. That’s why it doesn’t work. To really see change, you literally have to become someone else. When you are ready to change yourself, you create changes in brainwaves that give you abundance.

Unless you recognise that the words you say, the thoughts you have and therefore, the emotions you have are simply not helping, you won’t change. Combine this recognition with simple behavioural changes and watch yourself grow!

Most people when they get up in the morning, the first thing they do is think about the problems in their life. These problems are usually memories from the past, which has an emotion attached to them, so they start feeling unhappy, sad, depressed and even unworthy.

You don’t want to be like most people. They end up living in the unpredictable future by relying on the familiar past.

You are addicted to your negative emotions.

Human beings can turn on a stress response just by thought alone. You can think about your problems, and you’re producing the same biological effects. Science has done so many experiments now that prove the same chemicals that are triggered in a REAL DANGER situation are released when you just have a thought of that situation. These chemicals give the brain and body a rush of energy, (to protect you) and you could easily become addicted to that rush of energy.

Re-evaluate — is this you. Are you using your negative thoughts to pump a chemical mix to your blood stream to have a rush? Are you using your problems and conditions in life, to reaffirm your addiction to those emotions?

Today, you can learn something new, this is when you will add new connections in your brain. This is the essence of growth and learning. If you just pay attention for even just 10 minutes you will be creating a massive new network of neurons.

As you begin to change your neural circuitry, you’re going to perceive more of reality and get away from fictional troubles and this will give you peace. You no longer need to be addicted to your negative thought patterns.

Practical solutions to change your patterns.

Solution #1: Every morning for the next seven mornings, start with empowering thoughts. How can you be the best version today? Decide to be the happiest, most cheerful version of you that you can be, and you’ll start your day in a much better emotional state.

Our physical state is directly connected to our emotional state, and so you can physiologically influence your psychology. Thus, having a positive emotional mindset is good for our body too!

Solution #2: Develop awareness of the space around you. A conscious way of living will reduce stress hormones and create harmonic brainwave states. You can do it even now by reading this article with awareness and not just skimming through it. It’s a muscle, and the more you practice it, the better you get.

Take a few moments for the next seven days to sit quietly and sense your space. Pay attention to your environment and become really conscious of it. When you practise getting into a meditative state like this, you create space for your brain to develop healthier reactions.

When you develop an awareness of your environment, you learn a lot about yourself. Your brain gets rewired.

Solution #3: Practice slow responses. This way you will start to understand your stress reactions to different things and people in your environment. Understanding is the key to changing your negative thought patterns and transforming your life.

Your response probably exists to protect you and is a learnt adaptation — but it has become maladaptive now. When the stress response can’t be turned off, you’re headed for troubles, worries and even disease. No human can live in “danger” mode for an extended period of time. Recognise that your response is totally your choice and not based on what someone said or some situation in your life. Eventually you can learn to NOT react, ONLY respond.

Solution #4: Practice gratitude at the end of every day. There is plenty of research on the powerful effects of gratitude on our neurology. More than 12,000 chemical reactions are triggered by gratitude that help heal and restore your body.

Practise thankfulness for your life and the blessings you have on a daily basis. This will have incredible effects on your physical health. Every night for the next seven nights, spend a few minutes before bed giving thanks. Preferably write it down in a journal.

Your thoughts construct your consciousness, which is a phenomenon above matter. In fact, consciousness also activates or manipulates the circuits in your brain. You might think that the brain is creating consciousness, instead your consciousness is running your brain. The brain can change — as we know through neuroplasticity — so disengage with thought patterns that no longer serve you and go beyond your own constructs of “yourself”. This simple hack will give you tremendous mental wellbeing.

wknd@khaleejtimes.com

Connect with Anjaan across social media @MeditateWithAnjaan

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