How to Pull Yourself Out of a Negative Mindset

Some days you wake up and life just flows perfectly. Others…well, not so much. Ever wake up and feel like everywhere you turn there is another road block popping up in front of you? DETOUR, ROAD CLOSED, TURN AROUND! You start to feel like every move you make is the wrong one until eventually you find yourself in a rut, not willing to make any moves at all. I am a firm believer that the negative things we feel around us have a direct connection to our thoughts. If we have a negative mindset then everything around us will show up in negative ways. But if we can find ways to break this mentality cycle we can shift our mindset and shift our outlook on the situation we’re in.

I know I talk a lot about the power of positivity and how important it is for your mental and physical health. And I truly believe it is key to living a fulfilling and happy life, but I also fully recognize and understand that it is impossible for us to live a life where we are 100% happy, 100% of the time. We are human and life can get hard. We’ve all experienced tragedies. And we’ve all found ourselves in the most unexpected, and most unbelievable of situations at one time or another. One minute we’re paddling along during a cool, calm afternoon. The next we’re battling an unpredictable typhoon trying its best to knock us off course. But it’s our mindset that determines if we sink or float.

I also want you to understand that this is a process. It takes time. You may struggle for a little while. You may need to paddle harder than you’ve ever paddled before. It can get exhausting at times. There’s no doubt about that. But the main point to take away here is to just keep pushing. Keep yourself afloat no matter what that looks like for you. If you need some alone time, take it. If you need to let it all out and cry, then do it. There will be times when negativity finds its way in, just don’t let it get too comfortable there. It’s not welcomed here forever.

I hope this article helps you find some peace during these times of uncertain and uncomfortable times you find yourself in. Always remember that these negative feelings aren’t going to last forever. And with a little time and a little dedication you will be able to pull yourself out of that funk so you can move freely onwards.

Recognize What You Are Feeling & Why

Sometimes people try to shake off the discomfort or the negative emotions they are feeling by ignoring them completely. Or focusing on something else so they can pretend they’re fine. But you are feeling these feelings for a reason. And right now in this moment you are meant to feel them. You need to take the time to explore them and understand what it is that’s causing this pain or discomfort. It’s there for a reason. You just need to uncover what that reason is.

So how the heck do you go about doing this?? Begin by taking a few minutes and sit with yourself in silence and reflect on the situation. After a few minutes of reflection begin to write all your thoughts, frustrations, fears, anything at all that comes to mind, write it all down. When you feel like you’ve got it all out take a look back at what you wrote. Read it back to yourself silently. Really pay attention to everything you wrote down. Pay attention to how you feel as you read your own words back to yourself. You may notice you start to feel a slight bit of release during this process. You won’t suddenly feel instant relief. That’s not the goal here. The goal is to feel understood and acknowledged.

How does this work? Have you ever explained a problem you were having with a really close and trusted friend? They might not have been able to give you the advice you needed to fix the problem, but you felt validated and heard? You were already starting to feel some relief just by saying it out loud. This technique works the same way. You are telling yourself that it’s ok. It’s ok to feel the way you feel. It’s ok to not have an answer to the problem just yet. You’re telling yourself “I understand you and I hear you.” This can be extremely therapeutic and is a wonderful first step towards switching from a negative state of mind to a more positive one.

Mindful Walks Alone

I find this next step to be unbelievably helpful when it comes to pulling myself out of a negative mindset. Start out on a nice long walk. Make sure it’s a day/time when you know you can walk for as long as you want without needing to worry about any deadlines or what time you need to get back. You’ll be leaving your phone at home so make sure you don’t need to be anywhere.

Begin walking as you normally would. As you move along start to think about what you wrote down in step 1. As the walk progresses begin to detach from those thoughts. Instead begin to focus on every little detail around you. What do you hear? Birds chirping? Dogs barking? The beeping from a large truck backing up? What do you smell? Are you eating or drinking something? How does it taste? Pay attention to every single thing around you. What colors do you see? Are they bright and vibrant? Hazy? Maybe it’s a cloudy day and everything is a little more subdued. Be mindful of how you feel when you take a deep breath in. What do you feel when you exhale? Experience all of it.

This is a very simple simple technique and is a great way to begin pulling yourself out of that negative mindset and leaning more towards a more neutral state of mind. You might not find yourself feeling 100% like you again, but it’s a great way to begin to pull out of that negativity and into more of a middle ground. During your walk you’ll begin to release your thoughts away from what’s troubling you and allowing yourself to focus on the present moment instead. It’s a wonderful way to help you let go and release. Give it a try the next time you are feeling overwhelmed or stressed. You will feel a million times better when your walk is over.

Break A Sweat To Break A Negative Mindset

Releasing that negative energy in the form of exercise is another great way to release that bottled up tension and stress. Find whatever exercise that works best for you and do at least 20 minutes of it. You really want to get the heart rate up and get a little sweaty. It can be anything from running to jump rope to Pilates. Exercise is a wonderful way to release chemicals in your body that boosts your mood and sense of well-being while at the same time suppressing the hormones related to stress and anxiety. This is a great way to get you up and moving out of that funk and into a healthy, more balanced flow.

Looking for more healthy living ideas? Check out my top 25 tips for living a healthy lifestyle.

Do One Positive Thing For Yourself

You have been doing a lot of great work. Now it’s time to reward yourself by doing something positive for your mind or body. Think of things like carving out an hour for a yoga class, going for a bike ride, scrap-booking, creating a vision board or reading a book for at least 30 minutes. Think of things that make you happy and also help inspire you. Try to do one positive thing for yourself everyday and you will soon start to notice a shift in how you feel.

Give It Time

There is no overnight cure when it comes to shifting from a negative mindset to a positive one. You didn’t just one day wake up feeling like this. It happened slowly over time. Probably without you even noticing it at first. And the way out is just the same. It’s a process. But with time, dedication and the understanding that this won’t last forever you will soon find yourself noticing the good in life again. It can be hard at times for sure, but you are strong, you are brave, and you are capable.

Do you have any go to tips or techniques you use when you just aren’t feeling like yourself? Let me know in the comments below, or if you just feel like saying hi that’s always appreciated too 🙂

Sending you all positive energy,