Despite the ups and downs of 2020, we have the power to leave the negative experiences behind us.  As you embark on the year 2021, there is no reason to allow past or unforeseen negativity to dominate your life. This is a new year with unlimited possibilities.  In order to take advantage of this new beginning, you must make a concerted effort to avoid negative situations as much as possible and reduce its impact to an absolute minimum.  Negativity can be a drain on your mental and spiritual well-being.  So, what can you do to minimize negativity that is likely to drain your energy and create stress and anxiety?  Here are some tips to remove yourself from negativity.

 Express gratitude

Gratitude is a powerful tool against negativity.  Placing an emphasis on gratitude allows you to find the good within every situation. It helps you to adopt a mindset that no matter how bad things are, there is a positive lesson to be learned from the experience. This type of thinking prevents you from being overcome by negative experiences.  It empowers you to control your emotions.

Try saying "thank you" for all that’s going right in your life no matter small or big.  Also, be thankful for the strength to confront the negative experiences and/or challenges you face.  Express gratitude for the ability to take on the problems you face to reduce the effect on your emotions.  Although good to say “thank you” out loud, it doesn’t hurt to often say it in your head.

If possible, keep a gratitude log and write down at least three things that have happened during the day that you're grateful for.  You’re likely to have many more experiences to be thankful for than disappointments.

Participate in exercise and physical fitness activities

Daily exercise and physical fitness activities can be a game-changer in reducing negativity from your life.  They release endorphins into your body. 

These are a natural "feel good" mechanism that acts faster, better, and safer than any drug (prescription or otherwise) to make you experience happiness, and they are generated when you exercise. 

Regular exercise has been proven to reduce stress, fight off signs of anxiety and feelings of depression. At the same time, regular exercise and physical fitness will do wonders for boosting your self-esteem and self-confidence.

You have a total of 168 hours in a week.  I encourage you to dedicate just at least 10 hours a week to exercise and physical fitness.  Make this an integral part of your daily routine.  It doesn’t matter your age or current fitness level.  Discuss with your physician and participate in activities that work best for you.

Eat healthier

Make healthier choices when you eat - even if that means changing your food selection.  A good place to start is to not eat things where you don't understand the ingredients.  Work to eliminate foods with high fructose corn syrup, preservatives, and/or artificial flavors from your diet. What you eat has a significant impact on the body’s ability to effectively handle stress and anxiety.

Be aware of so-called comfort foods. They are often anything but comforting.  It may be something you eat that gives you a quick sugar high, but that's soon followed by the negative side of eating food that's not exactly healthy.  Cut down on excess sugar.  Gradually cut down on the caffeine (it's not a good idea to remove caffeine from your diet all at once).

Eating foods such as fish, fruits, green vegetables, nuts, and grains will make a significant difference in the body’s ability to minimize stress and anxiety.  You are what you eat.

Rid yourself of negative conversations

Stop the negative talk with yourself.  Sometimes we spend the entire day telling ourselves how bad things are going for us.  This negative self-talk only adds to our level of frustration.  Language such as “I’m struggling”, “having a bad day” or “nothing ever goes right for me” are all examples of negative conversations that drain us our mental powers and ability to be proactive.

Don’t waste time talking to or with people who only want to engage in negativity.  They never have a word of encouragement or appreciation of the positivity in you or the world.  Their frame of reference is always a negative circumstance.  Shift the conversation to a more positive discussion about some act of kindness, and experience when you were at the top of your game, or remove yourself from the discussion.

Surround yourself with people who are strong mentally.  The conversation is about reaching the next level and continuous improvement.  It’s about discussing solutions and new ideas to make a difference in your life.

Stop reliving past negative experiences over in your head

Negativity isn't something you've chosen to do.  It's something your subconscious mind has developed as a protection process for you.  Just as you can't tell your hair to stop growing - it's not easy to remove negativity or depression at a conscious level.  It must be done at the subconscious level in order to create a new you.

You are what you think.  So, reprograming your thoughts will help to alter your subconscious mind to delicately change your behavior and reduce the negativity in your life. You can reprogram your thoughts daily.  Acknowledge negative thoughts from past experiences and immediately begin to think of better times.  Celebrate events when you were at the top of your game and overcame negative situations in your life.

Remember, there is no space for negativity in your life in 2021.  Take control of your thoughts and become the person you aspire to be.

Written by Dr. RL Kight for Mind Power Solutions.  Visit www.mindpowersolutions.com to learn more about our personal development and training services.