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How to Manage Dark Thoughts in 2022

The past few years have been somewhat chaotic, and 2022 is no different. It can be difficult to swat away negative feelings that buzz around your head in a hive of chaos, but this article will help you utilise, avoid, lose or even live with these dark thoughts. 

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Dark thoughts can come at any time anywhere.

What Are Dark Thoughts? 

Dark thoughts are generally negative feelings that may stem from sadness or strong emotions. Usually, dark thoughts appear from overthinking, whether about the past, future, or present. Empaths can experience dark thoughts when seeing others experience injustice like bullying, criminal activity or people that are upset.  

These dark thoughts don’t always involve violence as a result. Sometimes they can be a form of self-punishment – it makes you think of yourself in that situation and can make you angry or upset. They can often be intrusive when thoughts pop into your head that you don’t agree with or want to think about.

Read now: How to Overcome your Negative Thoughts 

Having dark thoughts can be distressing and can have a negative impact on your daily life if they become frequent. 

Can We Utilise Them? 

Fortunately, we can utilise dark thoughts that are incredibly powerful in imagination, and emotion to create something truly amazing.  

We can create a wide variety of recreational and artistic values with our thoughts, including: 

  • Art 
  • Music 
  • Writing 
  • Performance 
  • Drawing 

Many artists use their dark thoughts in songwriting to express themselves in creative ways. Songwriters that used their darkest times to write songs are typically regarded as “dark, gothic or emo”. These may have negative connotations to different people but, they all have the same meaning: dark. 

Songwriters like The Cranberries, Radiohead and Syd Barrett write from experiences or dark thoughts in their heads and release positive songs that help people through their internal struggles. 

Utilise dark thoughts by reflecting them upon your more creative work, this not only lessens the pressure of the thoughts but increases the quality and emotion of that work.  

Read Now: Creative Activities That Can Benefit Your Mental Health  

How Do I Avoid It? 

It is difficult to avoid dark thoughts since they are often in the back of your mind. Whilst they can be subdued by your positivity, they often surface unpredictably and when you don’t expect it. However, the best way to avoid them is to try to change your focus. 

Although it seems simple, focus and positivity can be maintained to keep your mind from wandering and drifting into the darker aspects of your brain. Focusing your mind on something else like music, videos, films or art, distracts your mind from the thoughts, and you eventually will lose their trail. They might pop up again but indulging in these activities will help. 

Healthier alternatives also help like going out for a walk, or with friends. 

Read Now: Creating a Healthy Routine is Good For You 

Can I Lose These Thoughts? 

Whilst it is difficult to remove dark thoughts entirely, it’s important to remember you aren’t alone. Everyone deals with negative thinking at some point. Someone who says they have never thought that way is not telling the truth.  

It is something that comes along naturally. As humans, we tend to be more empathetic and imaginative which leads us to be lost in our heads at times. It is hard to completely ignore them, but you can reduce their power.

Living With The Thoughts 

You can live with them; almost everybody who has an ounce of sympathy or empathy will experience them. It can sort of feel like a punishment at times for caring about other people and not being able to help but it is something we live with.  

Remember though, you can still help people to numb the dark feeling that surrounds you. Just because you may wallow in thinking of what could have been, it still means you can help in some way in whatever way you can. 

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Remember those dark thoughts do not make you broken.

Conclusion 

Our minds are incredible machines, and we still don’t know what they are fully capable of. They can be unpredictable at times, meaning dark thoughts could occur at any time especially if something happened in your past and reminds you of that experience.  

Don’t think you are broken because you have these dark thoughts; it makes you a good person that you would selflessly care about others more than yourself.  

We here at Ceed have a safe place for everyone – We have many different articles on similar topics. If you need any further help then contact us here! 

How to Stop Comparing Yourself to Others Online

When you’re constantly seeing the lives of others online, it’s all too easy to start comparing yourself to them. We are bombarded with everyone else’s achievements and successes, and it can make us feel bad about ourselves.  

It can be easy to compare yourself to others online.

But the reality is, all of us are in the same boat. The people you compare yourself to are doing the same thing to someone else. Social media is hard to avoid, so it’s best to focus on ways to make it a positive experience. There are lots of things you can do to limit the negativity that can come from social media, which can help you to stop comparing yourself to others. 

Read Now: The Impact of Screen Addiction on Health and Wellbeing 

Remember Reality 

It’s important to remember that what you see on social media is a curated version of reality. People don’t want to post the boring or sad parts of their life, only the good stuff. This can make it seem like everyone else is living on cloud nine, and it’s easy to be jealous of that.  

People only want to share the good parts of their lives!

When you are only seeing the good aspects of people’s lives, you can’t get a full understanding of them. You can’t accurately compare yourself to people’s lives, you can’t fully understand someone when you’re only getting half the story!  

Take a step back and think about the things you share on social media. Likely, you aren’t posting about the boring stuff, and that’s the same for everyone. People only want to show the best versions of themselves, so it’s important to remember that when you are online.   

Curate Your Feed 

It’s easy to forget that you are in complete control of what you see on social media. You can actively stop following people whose posts make you feel bad about yourself, and instead, follow things that make you happy. It’s normal to compare yourself to others when you are always seeing them. In the case of social media, out of sight can really mean out of mind! 

Once you stop seeing things that make you upset, you can have a more positive experience online. Accounts that focus on creating a positive atmosphere can help you feel better about yourself whilst cutting out feelings of jealousy. You are in control of what you see on a day-to-day basis, so pick things that make you happy!  

Read Now: Doomscrolling: Navigating Mental Health and Social Media 

Reduce Your Time Online  

The more time you spend online, the higher your chances of seeing something upsetting. A digital detox is a great way to remove yourself from negative feelings that can come from social media. It gives you a chance to unplug from the internet and focus on what brings you joy in the outside world.  

Try to limit your time online so you don’t get sucked in!

Even if you don’t think you can go a full day without social media, limiting your usage can make a big difference. Try setting aside an hour or two where you put your phone down and focus on reality. You will be surprised by how much difference it can make. Disconnecting from online even for a small while can often make those insecurities feel insignificant.  

Have a Purpose 

If you don’t have a specific reason for using social media, you can end up filling your feeds with people you are comparing yourself to. You can get sucked into everyone else’s lives and find yourself comparing every move.  

Create a reason for using social media, and focus on that instead of on others. Whether you want to get ideas for craft projects, or keep up to date with pop culture. Choose something that makes you feel good, and channel your energy into it. The more focus you put on things you enjoy, the less energy you will have for comparing yourself to others.  

Confront Your Feelings  

If you really struggle to stop comparing yourself to others online, confront your feelings to try and find the source. Think about why seeing particular people or posts makes you upset, and try to challenge those feelings.  

By acknowledging it instead of pushing it away, you can begin to understand your triggers and know what to avoid. This can help you make positive changes online and in real life, as it’s likely your insecurities carry across from your personal life to online.  

Check in on how different things online make you feel.

Read Now: Toxic Positivity and Social Media: Why It’s Okay Not To Be Okay 

To Sum Up… 

It can be hard to challenge your feelings towards social media, but it can result in a more positive experience online. Try to remember that you aren’t alone, and everyone struggles with comparing themselves to others. Take control of your social media, and don’t let it control you any longer! 

If you want to learn more about how to have a positive relationship with social media, contact our life coaches at Ceed today! 

8 Quick and Small Changes to a Better Life

It’s the little things we do that allow us to live a better life. You don’t need to go making big changes in order to see improvement. Small changes build over time and are less daunting at first. This can encourage you to continue and stay consistent in your changes. 

Science supports this theory. For example, research from Cornell University has found that small, easy changes are better for promoting weight loss. Making small initial changes can help motivate you to take on further changes to help better your life in the long run.   

Yes, we are all different. However, certain activities and behaviours have been shown to universally help people improve their overall well-being. If you’re searching for ways to help improve your life by making quick, small changes to your lifestyle – consider these eight tips and tricks. 

Don’t be overwhelmed. You don’t have to try all of them. Pick a few and work from there. Little steps will get you far. 

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Implementing little changes can have a big impact!

Smile More Often 

Smiling has been shown to significantly reduce stress, increase serotonin levels and even reduce how often we are feeling unwell. Smiling more often can also give the illusion that you look younger than you are – an added bonus! 

Psychology and Ageing study showed that when a group looked at photos of happy faces, they guessed the age of the person lower, while photos of the same person with neutral or angry expressions were higher. 

Funnily enough, you don’t even need to mean it when you smile – you can fake it ‘til you make it. Research has shown that even a fake smile has positive benefits too! So, remember to get your smile on! 

Take a Morning Walk 

Going on a morning walk and building your routine around it can have amazing effects on your physical and mental wellbeing. Regular morning walks can even help you: 

  • Feel better physically and mentally, clearing your mind 
  • Lower the risk of heart disease, stroke diabetes and certain types of cancer 
  • Lower blood pressure 
  • Improve memory 
  • Increase energy 
  • Prevent weight gain 

Morning walks in particular tend to start and end your day in a good mood. Walking also helps you to feel sleepy, meaning you’re more ready for bed when the time comes. This also results in an overall better mood the next morning! 

Wear Suncream 

Most of us will (hopefully) put suncream on when it’s a hot and sunny day. However, you might want to start getting into the habit of putting it on every time you go outside. Not only will this help to keep your skin looking young and wrinkle-free, but it also will protect you against skin cancer.

It’s equally as important as taking a walk in the first place! This habit truly only takes a few minutes to implement, but its benefits are long-lasting.

Make sure you use suncream to protect yourself on your walks!

Spend Time Away from Social Media 

Social media is now an embedded part of our society. However, research has shown that social media can have a corrosive effect on mental health. For example, social media often causes us to produce an idealised image of ourselves and our lives. That action can indeed cause damage to our self-perception and happiness. 

Many people search social media for approval from others and absorb an unrealistic perception of how their life should be. This often results in a higher chance of developing symptoms of depression. Therefore, spending some time away or limiting your exposure to technology can help prevent this and boost your mental wellbeing. 

Drink More Water 

So I’m sure you’ve heard about needing to drink eight cups of water a day, right? Does it seem like too much? Well, research shows that drinking enough water can reduce the risk of depression and anxiety.

Even a case of mild dehydration can take its toll on our mental and bodily health. Losing just 1% of your body mass, which might occur as part of everyday living, can lead to a dip in mood and anxiety. 

Our brains are 75% water. It depends on proper hydration to function properly. So, it’s no surprise that a lack of water can cause our emotional processes to weaken.  

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Drinking more water every day can benefit your physical and mental wellbeing!

Set Reminders on Your Phone

Setting up reminders makes sense. We can’t remember everything! Offloading the responsibility of remembering certain tasks to your phone can free up mental space for other tasks. 

Even better, studies have shown how reminders can help us save more money, keep up with medical treatment and even be more charitable. What’s not to like about that? 

Learn How to Cook a Signature Dish 

Cooking can help boost your mood and improve your mental health. Cooking has been known to actually be used a therapy. There are therapeutic cooking programmes, culinary therapies and culinary mindfulness. 

All of these activities embody the same belief: the act of cooking at home can benefit your mental health. Cooking is an act of patience, mindfulness and an outlet for creative expression. You don’t need to be Gordon Ramsay – start small by learning one signature dish and practice perfecting it! 

Eat Without Distractions 

Distracted eating is incredibly common in our society today. Our lives have gotten so fast-paced that it seems indulgent to take time away from our day to eat without any distractions. Are you a distracted eater? Do these situations sound familiar? 

  • Eating breakfast in the car on the way to work 
  • Eating lunch at your desk 
  • Watching TV during dinner 
Reduce distractions while you eat for a more satisfying meal!

If you answered yes to any of these, you are a distracted eater. But you are definitely not alone! Try to stick to set meal times and eat without any of these distractions. It helps with mindfulness around food and can help prevent overeating. 

Remember, taking small, achievable steps towards your goals makes you more likely to succeed in achieving your goals.

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For further advice from our professional lifestyle coaches, contact us at Ceed today!  

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