You’d be amazed at how much negative, upsetting stuff we DON’T HAVE TO THINK ABOUT. Back when I was going through a very difficult time in life, and feeling overwhelmed, out of sheer need to survive and not break down, I began doing this:
I would ask myself, “Is there anything I can actually DO about this?”
If the answer was “Yes”
I would either do something about it right then, or write the tangible action on my To Do list and schedule it. Once it was scheduled, since I was not actually IN THE ACT of doing something about it, I would not let myself think about it.
If the answer was “No”
and I had zero power to do anything about a problem in my life or in the world, I would stop thinking about it. I would consciously switch my thoughts to something positive and uplifting. I had to switch my thoughts over and over. It got easier with practice.
Another technique I used to help me focus more on positive, was to ask myself this:
If I never think about this, will it have any impact on my day to day life?
Do I NEED to think about this?
Will thinking about this change or improve ANYTHING?
Little by little — and especially during my visualizations and gratitude ritual each morning — I thought more and more consistently about positive, hopeful, uplifting things. Eventually I was floating in joy most of the time.
In this crazy world where so many people are suffering, it can seem like toxic positivity or spiritual bypass (or any other popular jargon), and cold-hearted when we choose to focus on positive things instead of negative. I have written about this in a piece titled “Thoughts About Feeling Joy While Others are Suffering,” found in WRITINGS.
For more help in coping with stress, read in EXERCISES: “How to Avoid Being Overwhelmed by Stress,” and in TECHNIQUES: “Invisible Bubble Technique.”
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