Thinking too much for too long can be depressing and or stressful especially when it comes to letting certain thoughts and feelings go. The only way to avoid dragging emotional baggage is to move on with one’s life as best as possible. This sounds a lot more difficult than it really is however I have provided 25 ways one can stop dragging emotional garbage and move one to live a more fulfilling life below:
1. Stop talking about the past especially if it is harmful.
2. Avoid songs, movies, and/or shows that make you feel either too stressed out or depressed.
3. Use scriptures, and positive affirmations (comments/language) every time you have negative thoughts and/or feelings.
4. Focus on the positive aspects of your life rather than the negative experiences that cause you to relive unpleasant times you rather avoid.
5. Learn to be more spontaneous as this will help you to change certain behaviors and/or thoughts that cause you harm.
6. Choose your battles, If you can let it go then do it, to avoid getting caught up.
7. Learn to forgive without having to forget. Sometimes trying to forget things makes it more difficult to forgive, which are too different things.
8. Explore behaviors and/or thoughts that are more pleasant to avoid becoming pessimistic.
9. Avoid negative people, as this will cause you to focus only on the negative as they do.
10. Avoid being a victim of your past by focusing on things you can do in the present to empower yourself.
11. Avoid reminiscing all day long as this can set an unpleasant environment for you and the people surrounding you.
12. Do things that you like to keep yourself happy and in a good mood.
13. Always make time for relaxation. Whether it be a vacation or a short break, it is important to make time for yourself to relax. At least 30 minutes a day will help make a difference in your health.
14. Maintain a healthy diet, as this will help you to maintain a good mood.
15. Try doing one thing at a time to avoid overload.
16. Stop trying to control what you can’t.
17. Try to accept things that you cannot change and focus on what you can change.
18. Be realistic with yourself no matter how bad things may seem.
19. Stop trying to fix what is broken.
20. Try to keep busy as much as possible to have less time to think.
21. Watch a funny movie or show to avoid negative or obsessive thinking.
22. Challenge irrational beliefs that cause you unnecessary anxiety and/or depression.
23. Replace negative thoughts with positive ones.
24. Read positive literature that will help you to challenge certain thoughts and feelings.
25. Talk about your past with a professional in the mental health field to allow yourself to work through the emotional garbage you continue to hold onto.
I hope that the information provided can be useful in avoiding emotional garbage that leads to distress in your life. If these techniques are used wisely, one can improve the overall quality of life.
Tamara has over 10 years of working in the public service field as an advocate for healthy thinking and living. She is a licensed mental health counselor in the state of Florida and has worked with a variety of people on issues that impact today’s communities ( families, teens, couples, children, etc.). Tamara strives to provide educational and therapeutic resources that can help improve her quality of life.
