Negative thoughts are uncomfortable to have. They can arise out of the blue and take you by surprise, or develop as thought patterns which repeat themselves over and over again like a stuck record. Each time you experience them the emotional groove they scour into your self esteem becomes deeper and deeper.

Negative thought patterns can be a major contributor to clinical depression. The more an individual thinks negative thoughts the less confidence they have and the more down they feel. Soon patterns of thoughts can occur which develop as a habit. Just like a child hearing constant criticism from a parent, an individual can begin to feel useless, unworthy and then question every decision they make. They no-longer have confidence in their choices or abilities.

Some negative thoughts are perfectly normal and simply part and parcel of being human. Everyone has times when they blame themselves for things they aren’t really responsible for, or experience negative inner talk in their head which tells them they aren’t good enough. It’s only when such thoughts are experienced frequently that they really do damage.

One way to stop negative thought patterns from continuing is to get into the habit of repeating positive affirmations to counterbalance such thoughts. Soon more positive thoughts will take their place and individuals will begin to feel more confident and happy.

Affirmations are positive spoken or written words or sentences which help raise self esteem. A shy person, for example, who sufferers from negative thoughts about their social skills may repeat an affirmation that they are confident and at ease when in the company of others. They may place a poster with their affirmation on in a frame and hang it on their bedroom wall so it’s the first thing they see each day, or use it as a screen saver on their computer.

When negative thought patterns are habitual they can be broken if interrupted with positive thoughts. This takes effort and can be difficult to achieve at first. However with time the exercise becomes easier and negative thoughts cease.

Individuals who want to get rid of negative thoughts can ask their friends and family to help them. Although other people can’t hear what they are thinking, negative thoughts often result in negative talk or actions. Having other people point out when symptoms of unhappy thoughts occur can help nip them in the bud.

Negative thoughts are unpleasant but they can be overcome. By repeating positive affirmations, stopping bad thoughts in their tracks and gaining support from loved ones individuals can send negativity packing.