Life can seem hopeless when you feel you aren’t in control. Thankfully, there are simple ways to turn things around, and it lies within the power of thought.
Listen to your thoughts
The language we use creates our thoughts and, in turn, our feelings and actions. If you have negative internal dialogue it makes you feel bad, so you feel trapped in your life and habits and make little effort to change things. The first step towards changing your thinking is really listening to what you are saying to yourself. Sometimes it may take some effort to bring these thoughts to your conscious mind. Write down what you are saying to yourself during the day to put your thoughts in the realm of conscious control.
Learn from yourself
Take the time to learn where your thinking patterns may have started. “We sometimes label ourselves worse than anyone else,” says counsellor Julie Barnard. “But often there is no evidence that you actually fit the label.” It’s also important to look at your understanding of control. Some people feel they are never at fault, while others take the blame for things that aren’t under their control. Acknowledging what you can change and what you can’t is a healthy mindset to adapt. “People have more control in their lives than they realise,” Barnard says. “To some extent, we make our own luck.”
The power of choice
You have the choice to pursue whatever you want in life. You have the choice to decide how you want to think about life and those around you. Challenge negative thinking by questioning negative statements and replacing them with something logical. Logic is vital, as positive blank statements don’t always work if they aren’t realistic. If you find yourself thinking “my life is really unfair”, ask yourself “is my life really unfair?” or “what evidence is there that my life is really unfair?” It all starts with redefining your thoughts and choosing to take control.
