Eliminating These 5 Toxic Thoughts Can Help Bring You Peace

And that’s what we want, isn’t it? Peace! Peace in our minds, peace in our spirits. But toxic thinking pulls us away from that.

Toxic thoughts can stop us from enjoying life, peace of mind, and finding true happiness. Such negative thoughts and emotions drain us. They can affect each experience we have and make us feel resentful of the people around us.

“To build self-esteem,

you have to outface your negative beliefs about

yourself and change them.”

Asmaa Dokmak

Beware of these toxic thoughts and use counter-strategies to increase your happiness:

I’ll always be alone. Being lonely and feeling isolated at times are normal human emotions. However, they become toxic when we think that things will always be this way, or that we will always feel this way.
- This toxic thought can make us feel that we’re the only person on the planet. It can make us believe that we’ll never find love or a partner. And it can stop us from feeling joy.
- Instead of thinking we will always be alone, we need to turn that focus to what we already have.
  - Do you have loving parents or siblings?
    - Do you have amazing friends or coworkers?
      - If you look carefully, you’ll see you’re never truly alone.
I hate my body. Hating our bodies can be one of the most toxic thoughts in our minds. It can lead to eating disorders, self-esteem issues, and other challenges. We all can find imperfections in how we look, but it’s important to avoid dwelling on them.
- Understand that our bodies are a gift. It’s part of what makes us unique.
- Notice the things you do like about your body.
  - Accentuate those characteristics, focus on them, and you’ll find it easier to start loving the body you already have.
I’m not happy with my career. Our jobs can make us feel unhappy, but it’s another toxic thought.
- Try to avoid thinking about how much you hate your work.
- Of course, you may pursue a different career path.
  - If you choose this path, seek out new work without dwelling on your hatred for the current job.
- Follow your passion for a new career without anger, resentment, or animosity.
- It’s always better to go toward something rather than running away from something else.
I’m not worthy. This toxic thought can wear many outfits. We may feel that we are not worthy of love, success, money, or other things. We may believe that we always have to suffer and struggle. We may ultimately decide that we’re not meant for greater things. However, this toxic thought can stop us from enjoying life and finding happiness.
- These feelings of worthlessness are only in your mind.
  - You’re a unique person who has value, but you’ve convinced yourself otherwise.
- Often, this toxic thought comes from what we think others are thinking about us.
  - We falsely assume that others don’t see any value in us, so our self-esteem sinks to a low level. Self-esteem is an individual’s sense of competence and confidence in one’s own worth or abilities. It is self-respect.
  - You are worthy!!
- Consider starting a new game:
  - Congratulate yourself every time you do something right!
  - Find things that you do satisfactorily. Even small ones count.
    - For example, if you made a tasty breakfast, congratulate yourself.
    - If you like the outfit you’re wearing, kudos to you for picking out something nice.
    - Let your thoughts dwell on what you do right!
I don’t have enough. This toxic thought can manifest itself in many different ways, such as thinking we don’t have enough money, smarts, skills, talents, or abilities. We may also begin to think that we don’t have enough connections, friends, children, or things.
- Scarcity thoughts stop us from appreciating what we already have around us.
- This can infect every area of our lives. We may have or feel
  - a scarcity mindset at work
  - a scarcity mindset around food
  - a scarcity mindset about money
  - a scarcity mindset about love
- This feeling prevents us from finding joy in being thankful for the things we do have.
- With these thoughts, we may never feel that we have enough material possessions or people to love, regardless of how many we actually have.
- While we can certainly strive for more, it is important to also be thankful for what we do have.

“It is not always possible to do away with negative thinking,

but with persistence and practice,

one can gain mastery over them

so that they do not take the upper hand.”

Stephen Richards

Toxic thoughts are easy to create and often hard to eliminate. They can overwhelm us if we aren’t careful.

If toxic thinking has gotten hold of you, and taken over your mind, your time, or your heart, it is important that you take action to chase them out. Push them out of your mind, not just bury them.

What to do instead…

Notice when these toxic thoughts arise.
Immediately, switch that thought to one that’s more positive and uplifts you.
Meditate, repeat affirmations, and try using some of the suggestions above to loosen their grip.
Do these actions consistently, and soon you’ll find that things work out for your benefit more often.