Negative thoughts are part of our daily lives. In fact, every day we have over 60,000 thoughts, many of them negative. In other words, they hit us, upset us and make us suffer. Is it possible to counter negative thoughts? Yes, it is! I’m delighted to share with you 10 habits that have changed my life and will help you chase away your negative thoughts to find serenity and inner peace.

1 – Negative thoughts: repeat a mantra

The first habit is very simple. It’s something you have to do as soon as you notice you’re having a negative thought.

“Here, I’m thinking that I suck, that tomorrow’s going to be a nightmare, that I’m really unlucky in life…”

So, in these moments of awareness, forget your automatic self-judgment: “I’m having negative thoughts again, I really suck. I’ll never make it…”.

In fact, simply repeat this mantra to yourself: “Peace, Joy, Love”.

It’s a mantra I’ve been using for several years now whenever I notice I’m having negative thoughts that invite me to feel anger, sadness or fear, and it’s changed my life.

Indeed, rather than plunging totally into the content of my negative thoughts, identifying with them, saying “yes, you’re right, I really do suck and my life really does suck”, I don’t listen to them and better still, I don’t judge them.

I repeat the mantra “Peace, Joy, Love” to myself in consciousness. I feel peace at the word “Peace”, joy at the word “Joy” and love at the word “Love”.

And I repeat it 3 times, 5 times, even 10 times, until my negative thoughts vanish.

Then I go on with my day, no longer clinging to the negative content of my thoughts.

2 – Back to the 5 senses

The second habit for countering negative thoughts is great! I use it when my negative thoughts are really strong and I feel my heart is aching.

“Here, I’m thinking about something that’s really hurting me, I can feel it, because my heart is heavy with grief/anger/fear.”

So I stop for 2-3 minutes and dive into my 5 senses.

What do I see? I list 3 beautiful things I see in the moment.

What do I hear? I list 3 noises, 3 sounds. My favorite being birdsong.

Then I touch one of my clothes or a surface next to me. I let my hand rest gently.

What smells surround me?

And, finally, what do I taste in my mouth right now?

To put this habit into practice is to completely forget the content of our thoughts and immerse ourselves fully in the moment.

It means feeling alive, vibrant with life. It means becoming one with everything, and that’s wonderful.

In fact, we’re no longer stuck in our heads with thoughts that make us suffer.

Yes, immersing ourselves in our 5 senses is a habit that reminds us that we are free at every moment and, above all, that we are connected to so many beautiful things around us, and all we have to do is open our eyes.

3 – Negative thoughts: meditation

The third habit for freeing yourself from negative thoughts is meditation.

Now, I’m not a big meditator, I have my periods. In fact, I’ll meditate every day for 2 weeks, then not at all for the following 3 weeks. And so on.

I think I’ll benefit from really making it a daily habit, and that’s what I’m trying to do. That’s why I wholeheartedly encourage you to do so.

So, meditation really is a habit that allows you to clear your head of negative thoughts.

When I sit down to meditate, I feel it strongly. In fact, it’s like a signal I send to my mind: “I’m going to look after myself”, my mind starts to panic and my heart leaps into my chest, celebrating this moment we’re going to spend together.

Because that’s what meditation is for me, it’s a moment when I look after myself. I listen to what’s being said, what’s going on inside me.

I try not to judge, not to judge myself and, on the contrary, to put a lot of compassion and benevolence into everything I become aware of.

It’s 10 minutes during which my body wants to move in all directions.

It’s also 10 minutes during which I have a smile on my lips. I’m comfortable in my discomfort.

I feel I’m in the right place, exactly where I’m supposed to be.

This is why negative thoughts eventually fall silent and are even replaced by much gentler ones.

4 – Yoga

Yoga is also a habit that helps banish negative thoughts.

For a moment, we’re alone on a mat, making movements with our bodies.

In fact, it’s a moment when we learn to love our bodies, because most of the time we hide that body we’re ashamed of, that doesn’t look the way we want it to.

But during this yoga session, we focus on our body, its sensations, its limits too. We listen.

And, by the end of the session, we feel relaxed and even proud of ourselves and our bodies.

To put this habit into practice, I invite you to discover different Youtube channels and choose the one that suits you best.

Treat yourself to this time when you think of nothing but yourself and your posture.

5 – Negative thoughts: the gratitude notebook

This is one of my favorite daily habits, because it’s the one that best helps me counter my negative thoughts.

In fact, every evening, before going to bed, I take some time to write in a notebook that I love.

Sometimes I write a lot, sometimes very little.

My intention each evening is to make peace with my day and retain only the beautiful things and lessons learned.

In fact, I write what’s on my mind until I feel the urge to conclude with “Thank you from the bottom of my heart, beautiful Universe, thank you”.

Then I know my negative thoughts are gone, and I can sleep with peace of mind and heart.

That’s why I wholeheartedly invite you to implement this habit, which will help you regain your serenity and joie de vivre!

6 – Praise and compliments

Most of our negative thoughts make horrible judgments about ourselves: we’re not good enough, we’re not smart enough, we’re not beautiful enough…

That’s why I wholeheartedly invite you to implement this two-step habit.

It starts in the morning, in front of the mirror: give yourself 3 compliments, including 1 about your looks.

“Today, I find myself…”

Then conclude with “I love and accept myself as I am”.

Finally, in the evening, still in front of the mirror: congratulate yourself on 3 things.

“Today, I found that…”

Then conclude with “I’m proud of myself.

This habit is just magic! It’ll really change your life by helping you chase away negative thoughts and replace them with kinder, gentler thoughts about yourself.

Because, remember, you’re a wonderful person.

It’s your thoughts that make you think you’re not. Let them go, and learn to see the natural beauty and light that has always and forever been within you.

7 – Negative thoughts: checking up on him

All too often, we don’t realize that we’re thinking negative thoughts. They’re silent, yet they imprint themselves on us and make us suffer.

That’s why I wholeheartedly invite you to start a new habit. Regularly, ideally every day, check in with yourself:

“How am I feeling? Are there things that bother or upset me? Are there things that, on the contrary, bring me joy?”

Check in with yourself as you would with a very good friend of yours.

Then take the time to reassure and encourage yourself, as you would a very good friend.

In fact, for every fear, every anger, reassure and encourage yourself.

Because, too often, you talk down to yourself. Now it’s time to talk to yourself with love, kindness and compassion.

Remember, you are the most important person in your life. So you deserve all your tenderness, as much as anyone else on Earth.

8 – Tailor-made positive thoughts

To free yourself from negative thoughts, nothing beats countering them with positive ones.

To do this, every day, have fun choosing a positive quote or affirmation to repeat to yourself in a happy, cheerful mood.

Personally, at the moment, I’m experimenting with the following positive affirmation: “I’m wonderful”.

I practise it in front of the mirror, looking into my own eyes. I repeat it to myself as I prepare, cook…

It’s important to say nice things to ourselves, things that fill our hearts with love and joy and silence our minds with their harsh, harsh judgments about us.

For this habit, I really invite you to imagine that it’s a friend of yours who says he wants to experience this positive affirmation “I’m a wonderful person”, because he tends to have a lot of negative thoughts about himself that make him suffer. What would you say to him?

You’d probably say, “Of course, do it. You’re a wonderful person.”

So why not allow yourself to do the same? Just do it. You’re a wonderful person too.

9 – Negative thoughts: a visualization for letting go and surrendering

Sometimes our negative thoughts are so hard, so horrible even, that we can’t free ourselves from them. Despite our repeated efforts.

At such times, I ask the Universe for help. What else can I do?

So, I invite you to implement this habit too. When there are thoughts that you’ve been dwelling on and hurting you for too long already, take a moment to do this visualization:

Sit down in a quiet place and visualize that your negative thoughts, the ones that make you suffer, are in the palm of your hands. Visualize all that restlessness, all that rumbling.

Then take a deep breath and open your hands to the sky. Feel the weight of your thoughts lift off into the sky.

Finally, take a deep exhale and say this: “I lay down my burden and go free.”

Too often, we try to understand and counter our negative thoughts, when we should simply let go and surrender to the power of the Universe.

Feel free to ask him for help in changing your thoughts and feelings.

Since I’ve been doing this, I’ve never felt lighter. Because I don’t hold my negative thoughts inside anymore, it’s as if they don’t really belong to me. In other words, I no longer feel ashamed or guilty about having them. That’s why I’m letting them go little by little with confidence and serenity, and it feels really good.

10 – Cultivate joy

When I repeat the positive affirmation “I’m a wonderful person” to myself to learn how to free myself from negative thoughts, quite often the opposite happens. In fact, I hear plenty of negative thoughts in response to this positive affirmation.

So what do I do? I choose to laugh.

Finally, I realize that my mind is so serious and grumpy. In fact, it’s outraged that I dare say such nice things to myself.

And, rather than take up arms against my mind, I prefer to choose joy.

So I learn to laugh at my negative thoughts.

In fact, they’re not real. It’s just my mind that has learned to react like that, to protect itself, because it’s afraid of everything and everyone.

That’s why I’ve decided not to take my negative thoughts seriously, and even when they convey fear, anger or sadness, I allow myself joy.

In concrete terms, I do something else in the meantime. Something that makes me happy: reading, playing with my dog, going for a walk, listening to music…

In fact, I don’t let my negative thoughts decide how I should feel.

In other words, I wholeheartedly invite you to do the same: to invite joy into your everyday life.

Learn to laugh at your negative thoughts and discover those little everyday things that bring you joy, and make them a habit!

Find out more:

I invite you to read these 2 complementary articles:

Discover How to stay positive: 50 quotes
Discover Change your negative thoughts: 6 positive habits

I recommend this inspiring book:

Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life: Living the Wisdom of the Tao by Wayne W. Dyer

The book relates to the theme of negative thinking by exploring the wisdom of the Tao and providing ideas for transforming one’s state of mind. Dyer draws on the teachings of the Tao Te Ching to offer practical advice for changing negative thought patterns and cultivating a more positive, harmonious way of thinking. The book encourages us to embrace the transformative power of thoughts, showing how shifting our perspectives can lead to a more fulfilling and balanced life. Dyer’s work serves as a roadmap for breaking free from negative thought cycles and fostering a state of mind that aligns with the wisdom of the Tao.

Great book. The author makes it incredibly intuitive by explaining the verses of the Tao in such depth that it’s impossible not to understand them. The Tao personally brings me peace and I would recommend this book to anyone.

Thank you very much for reading this article.

If you liked it, let me know in the comments.

Take care of yourself