There are many reasons for concern at the moment: Ukraine war, climate crisis, pandemic and much more. The thoughts of some revolve almost exclusively around depressing topics. We give tips on how to escape the pull of negative thoughts.
To be honest, everything is a bit much at the moment, the bad news is piling up and the dangerous situations seem more and more acute. The many sad pictures and horror stories about war, climate crisis and Co. not only hit many people, but also cause a negative thought carousel. In the long run, however, it is important to take care of yourself and consciously think about other things. We have put together useful things for you here that can help you with this.
Get involved (voluntarily)
Many of us are currently feeling powerless, especially in view of the great and complex challenges. Personal commitment, for example, can help you to feel empowered and in control. This can be taking part in a demonstration, but also social commitment in a charitable area. When you stand up for others or help others, you feel less helpless yourself. The effect is intensified when you even see direct positive effects of your actions. Possible options for social commitment are, for example, helping older or sick people in the neighborhood with their shopping, becoming active in environmental protection or supporting organizations in the context of refugee aid, for example for Ukrainian refugees.
Here is more information on how you can volunteer and do good.
Pursue hobbies that bring you joy
Hobbies bring us joy even at less stressful times. But they can also be a good source of distraction and thereby stop negative thought spirals. So if you already have a hobby that you enjoy pursuing, this can help you get your mind off things. Above all, creative activities that require a high level of focus are well suited here.
If you are still looking for suitable hobbies, you will find inspiration here:
Spend time in nature
Studies also show that nature has a positive influence on well-being. You can also distract yourself in nature, for example from acute worries. Especially when you explore new areas that offer a lot of variety and where there is a lot to see, it will be easier for you to take your mind off things.
Even better: You can also combine your time in nature with voluntary work, for example by getting involved with an environmental protection organization.
Spend time with people who are important to you
Social contacts are important, especially when you are plagued by worries. There is a good chance that you share the same feelings and negative thoughts. It can then help, for example, to exchange ideas. At the same time, spending time with friends and family is also a good opportunity to distract yourself and take your mind off things, especially when you’re doing something together.
Move
Sport provides distraction and stimulates the formation of endorphins, both of which can free you from negative thoughts. Sport also gives you the opportunity to maintain your social contacts and, for example, to do sport together with friends or in a club. Especially sports that require concentration can help you to switch off, for example karate. But you can also literally run away from brooding while jogging. If you like to take it easy, no problem, even a walk can take your mind off things.
learn something new
In addition to physical exercise, mental exercise is also a good way to get other (positive) thoughts. Be it some brain jogging with Sudoko or crossword puzzles, the distraction and mental stimulation is good. But the best way to get your mind off things is to learn something new, as it requires concentration. Maybe you’ve always wanted to learn a new language or know the best way to repair your bike. Wanting to escape negative thoughts gives you one more reason to tackle something new now and devote yourself fully to it. A nice side effect: (First) learning successes will also bring you joy.
More tips to protect yourself from too many negative thoughts:
- Take conscious breaks from social media and the internet. On the one hand, the endless scrolling usually does not lead to more information anyway, on the other hand, you run the risk of getting caught up in a whirlpool of negative thoughts. So avoid doom scrolling and use an app to set a fixed screen time that must not be exceeded.
- It’s also helpful to yourself some level of media literacy to become aware of certain mechanisms and to contain or consciously circumvent them.
- Inform you at fixed times about news and world events, for example 10 minutes in the morning while drinking coffee and 10 minutes in the evening (but not before bedtime). Avoid following the events of the day in between and uninterruptedly. News tickers are also not good in the long run!
- Create little rituals for the dayfor example making coffee with your favorite music in the morning, the daily sun salutation before you start the day or the short call to your parents every evening.
Finally: Thinking about negative things and brooding is normal and also important! You should therefore also allow negative thoughts and not force yourself to only think positive thoughts (keyword: toxic positivity). Therefore, perceive bad feelings and do not ignore them, for example feelings of guilt or fear. But the brooding should not take on unhealthy proportions.
If your negative mood persists or intensifies, take advantage of the relevant offers of help and contact the responsible counseling centers, who will be happy to provide you with expert help. You can reach the telephone counseling service free of charge at any time, for example 0800 111 0111 or 0800 111 0222.
Read more on Techzle.com:
- 6 movies that will make you question your use of social media
- From Corona to the Ukraine crisis: how to recognize fake news
- Take in refugees from Ukraine privately – you should keep that in mind