Do you know those thoughts that fester in your head? The ones that incite anger because of what someone did to you, the ones that make you feel depressed, or the ones that encourage cruelty or disregard to others. These thoughts are harmful to you. It might be okay to have these thoughts every once in a while, in order to justify your thoughts or make decisions, but they do not benefit your life.

Negative thoughts do not always fester in your mind, but it often leads you to make decisions that you will regret. For instance, you might feel compelled to start an argument or quit your job. In a way, it might be helpful for destructive relationships or toxic friendships, but either way, your sense of judgment can be easily clouded by negativity. Whatever the reason might be, negative thoughts trigger emotions.

Even when people know of the destructive nature of negative thoughts, they do not always let go of them. These thoughts can be confirming, and they may give you a false sense of purpose. Additionally, they steal your attention from the present, by overthinking the past, which can also keep you from being happy. Negativity takes away your relationships, hope, and quality decision making.

You might feel like no one understands your experiences or what is making you upset, but you should keep in mind that everyone has burdens. It is not a competition of who has more pain, but it matters how you handle your own emotions. Consider those who overcome incredible hardships to eventually accomplish amazing things. Again, it is not the circumstances that you are in but your reactions to them.

Creating something positive out of negative situations takes a lot of focus and work. It is natural to ruminate in negativity; in fact, it might even feel comfortable. But, in order to move on from your pain, there are steps you can take towards a fulfilled life.

First, you should be aware of your negative emotions. The longer that you feel the negativity is justified and acting out impulsive decisions, the longer you keep yourself from a calm mindset. You should recognize that these thoughts do not benefit your life, but they bring destructiveness. Then, counter these negative thoughts with something that soothes you. You do not always have to put on a false face by faking positivity. Naturally, your mind will want to reject this positivity if you do not believe what you tell yourself. Instead, try to be in a more neutral state, either by repeating a mantra, a quote, or an inspiring song. Sometimes, neutrality is what breaks the negative thoughts that fester.

Next, you can create a list of all the things that make you happy or what brings positivity. Once you have your list, read it over and over again, until you feel comforted. They may not make you change your mood completely, but your focus will be on more positive aspects of life rather than the negative ones. Finally, it is important to keep yourself from acting on your negative thoughts. Try to think objectively, such as listing the facts of the situation and consider all possible actions you can take. These various viewpoints can diminish your pain associated with negative thoughts.

It is a great challenge to break from the ties of negativity which binds you to unhappiness. But, once you overcome this, you will find that you have more time and opportunities to focus on more important aspects of life.