Train Your Brain To Stop Negative Thinking

Both negative thinking and negative self-talk limit your own potential and hinder your capacity to learn – effectively inhibiting your mind power. It averts you from taking more chances and therefore prevents you from experiencing happiness, motivation, and slows down productivity. Be Open to Criticism People who are vulnerable to criticism and negative feedback tend to form doubts about themselves and their own abilities. Though it is normal to feel inefficient or insulted when you hear someone criticize you or your work, focusing too much on the spoken words – which are negative – will definitely give way for more negative thoughts. A simple technique you can teach your mind is to focus on why the criticisms were made, not on what the criticisms are. For example, if someone told you “You’re a terrible cook”; instead on focusing on the word ‘terrible’, notice the word ‘cook’. As a cook, what can you do to improve? The key is to take criticisms and negative feedback and turn them into opportunities for you to develop this particular field. Take a negative situation and turn it into a productive lesson. Believe in the criticisms, but believe more in your capacity to improve. NLP for Positive Outlook: Anchoring Anchoring is a very basic NLP technique that cultivates confidence, positivity, and motivation. It works by stimulating a positive response from a ‘trigger’, which can be something you normally do every day. This exercise can also be used to relieve stress. The following are easy steps on basic anchoring:

Step 1 – Choose your Emotion The first step in basic anchoring is to identify your desired response once you’ve chosen a trigger. It can be happiness, inspiration, love, or anything positive.

Step 2 – Simulate the Emotion The next step is to do something that will make you feel your desired emotion. For example, if you want to feel inspiration, watch videos about your long-term goals and the things you want to accomplish in life. Inspiration will be the feeling of encouragement with a voice in your head saying; “I can do that”. Make sure you simulate the emotion as strongly as possible – as in you’re almost euphoric with motivation.

Step 3 – Choosing your Anchor The next step in basic anchoring is establishing a representational system. This means associating your emotion with an unrelated trigger; known as anchors. The different kinds of anchors are: Visual – Colors, basic shapes, etc. Auditory – Songs, sound effects, ambient sounds, etc. Kinesthetic – The texture of a carpet, a warm bed, a hug, etc. Olfactory – The scent of roses, the aroma of coffee, the smell of a new book, etc. Gustatory – The sweetness of chocolate, the taste of peanuts, etc. For basic anchoring, a kinesthetic anchor is commonly used; specifically rubbing one’s earlobes. But if you want, you can also go for whatever’s available for you.

Step 4 – Associate the Anchor In step two, you were required to simulate the positive emotion as strongly as possible. Once you reach this ‘climax’, begin the association by using your anchor. For example, begin rubbing your earlobe when you feel like you’re filled with inspiration.

Step 5 – Repetition Anchoring usually takes a couple of tries in order for it to work. You can ‘test’ your anchor by suddenly snapping out of the emotion, going somewhere else, and doing your trigger. If the anchor didn’t work or if the simulation is not strong enough, you can repeat the entire technique starting from step 2.

Wishing you a neat and healthy life,

Pedro Proff

Healthy Lifestyle Coaching

"For a Neat Life."

Life Mentoring Method ®

"The Art of Learning to Be Yourself."