Have you ever been stuck in a cycle of terrible, negative thoughts? You know the ones—the ones that replay over and over in your mind. The ones that keep you up at night. It’s time to weed your mind of negative thoughts.
I’m going to be honest for a minute. These past few weeks have been incredibly tough for me. I suffer from severe anxiety and depression and these past few weeks I felt like a dark cloud had been hanging over me. My negative thoughts were running rampant.
“I’m not good enough.”
“I’m a terrible mom and wife.”
“My kids deserve better.”
“No one really cares about me.”
“Where is God? Why doesn’t He seem to care?”
The enemy was out to get me.
Maybe you have had similar thoughts. If so, I want you to know you are not alone. It’s very normal to have negative thoughts sometimes. We’re only human, after all. But we should never allow those thoughts to take root and take over.
The Effect of Negative Thinking
When we get into negative thought patterns, it’s like allowing a garden to become overrun with weeds. Think about it. What do weeds do? They choke out the good plants and steal vital nutrients that the plant needs to survive.
Negative thoughts do the same. They choke out the good in our lives and steal our joy. The enemy knows this. It’s one of his most powerful weapons that he uses against us.
“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.” John 10:10
Who is the thief? The devil! He knows if he can get into our minds, it will destroy our peace, joy, and purpose.
Getting Rid of Negative Thoughts
What do you have to do when your garden is overrun with weeds? You have to pull them out—one by one. Sure, you could use a weed killer, but that can damage the good plants you want to protect. It can also be harmful to the pollinators. It’s a quick fix and probably not the best option. Likewise, a quick fix for our negative thinking won’t work for long and could do more damage than good.
It can be tempting to reach for a quick fix like shopping or eating a bowl (or two) of ice cream. But those will only give us a temporary positive feeling and won’t fix the root of our negative thoughts. What can we do to weed out those thoughts and bring our minds back into alignment with God?
7 Ways to Get Rid of Negative Thoughts
Pray
I will always recommend praying first and foremost. Bring your worries to your Heavenly Father. He cares for you deeply.
“Cast all your cares upon Him, for He cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7
Be In the Moment
When you slow down, it’s much easier to appreciate where you are at. It also helps you to notice the negative thoughts and what causes them. This makes it easier for the next way to rid of negative thinking patterns.
Challenge Your Thoughts
When a negative thought does take hold, challenge it. Replace it with a positive truth. Imagine your negative thought is a balloon-capture it, then release it.
Write it Out
Journaling is a powerful tool. Take time to write down all of your thoughts. Getting them out of your head and onto paper will help you feel better. Once you have it written down, crumple it up and throw it away. It may sound silly, but it’s surprisingly effective.
Choose Your Circle Wisely
Surround yourself with people who uplift you. If you surround yourself with negativity, it’s likely to influence your mindset. It’s also important to have someone you trust to talk to about your thoughts.
Guard What You Take In
“Oh be careful little eyes what you see.”
What we watch, read, and listen to has influence over our minds.
The Bible says in Philippians 4:8 “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure… think about such things.”
Focus on content that speaks life into your heart and mind.
Help Someone Else
When we serve each other, not only are we sharing the love of God with someone else, but it also makes us feel good too. It can really help shape our perspective when we take time out of our day to help a fellow brother or sister in Christ.
Weeding Takes Time
Just like weeding a garden takes time, getting rid of negative thoughts takes time. I’m working on it too. Don’t get discouraged. If you keep at it, change will come.
In fact, science shows that your brain will physically rewire itself the more you practice turning negative thoughts into positive ones.
You are not alone, friend-and devil doesn’t have the final say.
We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God and take every thought captive to obey Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:5
Challenge Yourself
This week give yourself a challenge. If you are experiencing a negative thought pattern, try using these 7 ways to get rid of your negative thoughts. Let me know in the comments which ones you tried and if they helped! Thank you for reading!
Proverbs 4:23 “Guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.”
To find a journal to help you get started on weeding those negative thoughts, check out my shop!
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