Do you accentuate the negative? Do you accentuate the negative?

Focusing on grudges, resentments and negative thoughts won't just keep you in in pessimistic mood; it has also been linked to decline in cognition and memory in people over 55 and older.  Everyone engages in repetitive negative thinking to some degree.  For example, we have been experiencing the wettest November on record in the UK.  Do you wake up on the 7th consecutive day of rain and think to yourself 'It's a brilliantly rainy day today'?  Or are you more likely to think 'OMG not more rain.  What a pain?'  Yep I have to remind myself too that how we experience the day is up to us.  Yet, everyone engages in repetitive negative thinking to some degree.  The good news is that it is a changeable behaviour.

Next time you are overtaken by negative thoughts experiment with the following...

Make a list... of five specific things that you are grateful for and focus on these.  For me, it's my wonderful granddaughter, Matilda, born in April this year.  She can make the most negative of thoughts vanish in an instant!  What is it for you?

Take some deep belly breaths...approx five seconds in and five seconds out will help to rebalance your autonomic nervous system.

Change your state...in the moment do something different like a new task or change your focus to something else.  For me, a walk will always help.

Greet a negative thought---when it pops up with 'hello' then verbally tell it 'goodbye' or stronger.  lol.

For more help download our free online Introduction to NLP course today!

Have a great week.

Lindsey and all at Team NLP

PS Watch this space as next time I will share news of our wonderful new 4-day retreat in Cyprus next May 2023 when Tracey Gray and I will run our first face to face programme for three years!