Whether you know it or not, you have the power of veto over your thoughts. Many people falsely believe that the thoughts that cross their minds belong to them. Some even believe that there is something wrong with them, because negative thoughts seem to come frequently and flood their minds. The truth is that you don’t have to allow any thought to occupy space in your mind, if you don’t want it there.

I used to think something terrible had happened to my husband, whenever he didn’t walk through the door the minute he said he would. I would call his cell several times, until finally got an answer. It was only after I heard his voice that I was able to calm my fear of him lying on the side of the road hurt. Then, immediately, my fearful thoughts switched to anger. I would start yelling at him for not being home when he said, and for not calling when things changed.

Also read: How to Avoid Being An Eeyore

I could have controlled my thoughts and decided at any moment to veto the negative ones, but I didn’t know that I had that kind of power. In fact, it took me 4 years before I even learned that I could change my thoughts. You can change yours too. I hope it doesn’t take you as long as it took me, though.

5 Ways to Use The Power of Veto to Overcome Negative Thoughts

1
Take a pause for the cause!

Whenever a thought enters your mind that you don’t enjoy, take a moment to trace where that thought might be coming from. There may be something that was said, seen, etc. that you picked up, but hadn’t realized it. You may find that your thought came from something on TV or in a conversation that you recently had. Whatever the case, you can decide then, in that moment, whether you want to entertain that thought, or use your power of veto to get it out of your mind.

2
Write it out!

If you are a journal person, like myself, you might want to grab a pen and a notebook to jot down a few notes, if a “weird” thought comes to you. Write down the thought, and then write a thought that you would like to replace that thought with. Once you get the hang of writing it down, you will begin to do the same thing automatically in your head.

3
Put it on a timer!

Getting rid of thoughts might not always be the best practice. After all, you could learn some things about yourself, if you would pay closer attention to the things that you think about. So, if a peculiar thought pops into your head, start a timer for a short period of time, and allow yourself to explore that thought. Observe what it might be trying to reveal to you about yourself. Then, let it go.

4
Distract Yourself!

Sometimes, I find that I just am not able to take my mind off of a certain thought. When that happens, I find some music or a funny movie to distract myself. By the time I am finished listening to the song or watching the movie, I will have forgotten about the thought that was holding on strong before. Try distracting yourself with something, in order to drown out the pesky thought.

5
Surround Yourself With Positivity!

One way to rid yourself of negative thoughts or thoughts that don’t serve you, you can try cutting down on the amount of those thoughts. To do this, you should surround yourself with people and things that make you feel good. When you lead a life that is mostly filled with positive experiences, negative thoughts don’t come as often. Also, when negative thoughts do come, you can easily rid yourself of them, so that you can get back to your amazingly positive life.

How have these tips helped you? Let me know in the comments below.

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