How To Stop a Negative State of Mind

I know when you’re at rock bottom it feels like the end of the world, or the end of your world; but there are things you can do to either break the negative pattern you’re in or at least alleviate the intensity of what you’re feeling. Thoughts are just pattern, frequency and flow, and you are a vessel that channels and focuses this energy. You control what thought to identify with, contemplate or share with the outside.

Its important to distinguish this as lots of people believe they are not in control, which is actually correct. We cannot control what we think, however we can control which thoughts to hold and identify with and which to let pass over us and let go as easy as it came. The main emphasis I believe is to do something to break the pattern or at least divert it back to a more positive direction.

Here are 5 things I will always do to alleviate my negative state:

Write it down – Writing down my thoughts and feelings, or writing a passage of poetry/ lyrics when I was in a negative state was the single biggest thing I did to help me. I actually think that’s why I rarely resorted to self-harm. It instantly made me feel better. You know when you’re down or anxious you feel so scattered and unfocused and your mind is going crazy? Writing in a journal just moves all of it out onto paper and the relief is amazing.

Talk to someone – Doesn’t have to be a psychologist or doctor, just someone close who you trust. There are two things that will happen when you tell someone you’re struggling. Firstly they’ll be nothing but supportive, even if they don’t fully understand what you’re going through. Secondly, you’ll feel so much better because you realise that you’re not alone. It doesn’t have to just be your battle, it’s happening enough in your head. Don’t expect advice when you tell someone, or good advice anyway, because if someone hasn’t been through it they wont know what it feels like. Its nice when people listen though, you feel heard.

Exercise – I know it sounds kind of strange, but have you ever felt so pent up or manic and so overwhelmed it feels like you’re going to burst into confetti? Going for a walk or run changes your scenery, and gets rid of a lot of that negative energy physically, and it’s always nice to be physically tired to aid a good nights sleep and an increase in blood flow to the brain also helps release endorphins and hormones that improve your mood.

Meditation/ Mindfulness – This takes a fair bit of initial practise but I try to meditate at least twice a week or during a negative episode. Meditation brings into the moment, and assists in the realisation that thoughts pass as easy as they come. Learn not to identify with the negative frequencies or thought patterns through meditation and it can dramatically improve your state of mind. Focus on what you appreciate in your life, or something that made your day better. Think positive thoughts, think about what you dream of doing and what you love. This is advice I give to everyone, learn to meditate and you gain back control over your mind.

Do what you love – whether it is sport, gaming, music, dance or reading, do it. Do it as much as you can. It has intrinsic purpose, meaning you do it just because you love it and nothing else. For me music has always helped in passing through a negative state, whether it be singing, playing, producing or just listening. It’s a mode of expression that takes everything that was inside my head and gets it out. Also, the wise one works out how to get paid for doing what they love.

Being in a negative state is exhausting. Battling for control over your thoughts and emotions is tough work. Try to identify a negative thought pattern as early as you can, and do something to break or redirect it. Sometimes I’ve been most creative when in a negative state, for example using my experience to write this. You may not be able to control your thoughts, but you can control what you’re going to acknowledge. If none of these things work for you, fight hard and find something that does.

From the ashes, you will rise.

Liam.