How do you take your mind off negativity?

I sleep.

Be gratefull for what you do have!

i flick it back out...if i get a bad thought i think oh a bad thought and i refuse to think about it again...if it tries to come back into my head i just keep brushing it off...after all it is your mind and you can control it...if you so wish!.

I **********.

Just give up. there's no way to beat negativity. no no no

Ya find da problam, ya have some thought's ya speak ya mind, and go on...That's all we can do.And if we don't we'll just say oh well ,or what if... don't do that just take it like you mean.

Sleep.

Get a hobby, or just do mental practice. I used to have some really depressing thoughts a long time ago, and I got my mind used to think about other things when those thoughts came to mind. At the beginning it was pretty hard, but now it's an automatic process. Practice with any thought you may have, for example when you are hungry, try to concentrate on another thing, and then as the hungry thought comes back, keep trying other kinds of thoughts until you find one that works nicely.

you gotta do stuff you love with people you love. i love my friends so i hang out with them. i love my family so i visit them. i love writing so i write in my journal. i love chocolate. i love cooking. i love goin on walks with my doggie. i love making collages. i love working out. i love dancing even tho i am horrible. i like singing to my fave songs into a hairbrush on my bed to an invisible audience. i like a nice hot long bubble bath. i love self lovin. i love a cigar every now & then. i love a glass of wine occasionally. i love to meditate. i love...(fill in the blank of whatever it is makes you happy)

MAy I suggest a simple daily meditation. Don't worry, it isn't "New Age doodah" its just a way to get used to seeing things in a more positive light.

Sit in a quiet place where you will not be disturbed. Make sure your back is straight, not slumped over. this helps with breathing correctly (in ALL THE WAY, out ALL THE WAY, SLOWLY) and it helps you to recognize subconsciously that you are not beaten down by lifes troubles, sort of a symbol if you like.
Close your eyes.
Take three deep breaths and let them out through your mouth, imagining the anger, frustrtion, &c, falling out of your body with your breath, colored in blacks and greens and browns, in sort of a foggy, cloudy sort of form and just floating off into the air. Imagine the air you breath in being filled witha positive light, sorta like you see in depictions of the saints, or of God. Breath this ina and feel it cleansing your soul and mind with its positve energies. Imagine the air going into every crevice of your body and cleansing it.
Take as many breaths as you wish in this way and then think about the thing that frustrated you, or upset you, or whatever. Imagine it all being fixed. Don't think about how, just imagine it all being okay.

NOTE: If you are dealing with possibly dangerous situations, take immediate action and seek help from the authorities if needed.

NOTE 2: Do this breathing exercise whenever you feel heavily stressed or angry. Three breaths if you are restless, twenty if you are really mad.

The same way you get to Carnegie Hall. Practice!

Meditation is a great way to start. Set aside five minutes every day. Make time for it. The same time every day. Either when you just get up or before you go to sleep. Just do the meditation that Witchteen has described above. Don't expect it to change you instantly. And don't try to analyze it right after you do it. Just go about your business. You may have to do it for months. But it will become part of your routine. And you will notice the effects. And your sessions will become longer and longer. It will be worth it. When you are aware of the effects, try some variations you might find in a book or an audio tape, or join a group. There are many, many ways to meditate. Visualization, guided meditation, body and mind control, and just experiencing stillness. The last one is hard, but the most rewarding. In time, you will experience something completely new and wonderful, and you will have come to love the time you have filled with what could have been negativity. Your mind is like a muscle. Once you reach a state of altered consciousness - which is a proven ability (biofeedback is an example) - you'll learn how to produce it in situations where you are not alone, in the comfort of your meditation space. You'll learn to recognize stress as it starts and you'll learn to push it away or just allow it to hold onto you for a second and let it go, with the knowledge that it will go.

You can't completely erase negativity. But you can learn to keep it from getting to you. You can see it in a new light, redefine it. Even see it as a balance you will welcome as a counterpoint to positivity.

One of the hardest things I've had to do is to cut long-time friends out of my life. Some of them just chronically produced nagging thoughts and inner-debates which took over more and more of my peace of mind. You can't change them. They tell you their problems and their regrets and their fears and the things which outrage them. And it's good to be their friend. Some people just need to have someone listen to them. Some of them make you their own private vessel. When you realize that they aren't hearing a word you say and that they don't really want help - they just want a sounding board - it's time to retreat. The same goes for acquaintances, co-workers, buddy-pals, and some family members. Just back off and don't make yourself available to them.

Other people probably contribute more negativity to us than we can do by ourselves. And they fuel and validate the negativity we create for ourselves. You need more alone time, to discover the positive in the universe.

It's hard work! But it really produces incredible results. It can be incredibly uplifting, and fun! You may find yourself happy!

You might want to carefully plan your television watching and internet time. Pick and choose between what you know will be harmless and what wil be harmful.

Peace!

i call julio. he brings me a lil something something. i put a slightlystoopid cd in. i roll a fatty . i laugh about life. or i put on cnn and relieze how good i have it vs some ppl

Keep being P O S I T I V E!!

Positive think is only way to solve this, if something negative happens don`t dwell on it, think of the positive side and solve it,
And you need to build confidance in your self as most people that are negative thinkers usually have low self asteem.

I try to think of another negative thought cos you know ... 2 negatives make a positive .... MATH GEEK HUMOUR !!!! that brought the house down at math camp ... :-p

I tried for years to calm my mind, meditation, exercise, sex in excess, acupuncture, change in diet, walking, jogging, screaming into a pillow...etc etc...
Only one thing works, emotional and moral support from family and friends, if one does not have any type of support, one can go mad. Look around you, it has happened to many people. That is why we are here at Exp Project, we need support and some of us need medication, like myself; I can't stop thinking; I can't shut off my mind even when I'm sleeping. Some specialists told me that some people are born with this problem, so they get exhausted, then negative thoughts come to mind, due to fatigue. If it continues, it brings on anxiety or panic attacks.
So if you are trying to meditate, chances are you will think more, if you cannot shut it off. An Spriritual Master from New Delhi India, told us there are some people who will never be capable of deep meditation.