Post: Thought hygiene determines your life, your wellbeing. 5 ways of practising it.

Science has already proved that every day, we generate about 70, 000 thoughts. Out of which, most of the thoughts are similar to those of the previous days. Some or most are negative thoughts of fear, worry, pain, hurt, anxiety which greatly affects our daily life and wellbeing while some can be positive thoughts of joy, gratitude, confidence, hope which helps us carry our day through.

So, our wellbeing, life, health are all driven by the thoughts that are generated in our mind daily. Therefore, thought hygiene is the continuous flow of thoughts that goes inside our mind throughout the day, about self, experiences and the world around us. If the majority of the thoughts are uplifting, or at least in coordination with our life goal, purpose, then it is wonderful and promotes our wellbeing. But when it is just the opposite or the ones which don’t motivate or uplift our life, then it is time to consciously put a continuous effort to change our thought hygiene.

4 simple ways of practising thought hygiene.

1.Awareness: Make a conscious effort to observe your thoughts every day. By simply observing, is already a big step that you have taken to control your mind. When you are aware of your thoughts, what kind of thoughts preoccupy your mind most of the time in the day, why and when do the negative thoughts come? You are simply taking charge of your mind. The more you become aware of them, the negative or the unwanted thoughts cannot affect you any longer. Slowly, you can turn those negative thoughts into positive and at least make them no longer affect you.

2.Change your inner attitude: It is important to change our inner attitude or approach towards life. Take life and experiences with lots of love and humour. This also means stopping yourself to take everything very seriously. Any experiences daily with life, personal, professional, social should be accepted as they are. Overthinking and analysing makes them bad or good. In this way, at least, you can accept life with more smiles and pleasant experiences.

3.Observing your behaviour: Start observing your behaviour, your action. Your habits are not formed today. It has been practised for quite a long time to turn them into your habitual behaviour and action. So, to change them, you need a continuous effort and awareness. We always blame or complain of ourselves or others for anything that didn’t happen as it should have been. Self-analyzing and self-criticizing is somewhat a subconscious behaviour that we have with most of us. Again criticising others or blaming others for something or the other is a common behaviour. So, when we become aware and start correcting or at least make a continuous effort to change such habits, thoughts and attitude, actions are bound to change and life becomes easier.

4.Start each day with a positive thought: Postive thoughts and affirmations are very powerful. At least, when you start the day with a positive thought, then carry on throughout the day with the positive affirmation, even if the day didn’t go so well, the negativity or the unpleasantness doesn’t affect you much. You still end the day with hope and look forward to the next day. When you are already thinking negatively, you are internally negative, none of the experiences in the day can be an uplifting or happy experience.