Getting Rid of Dark or Unwanted Thoughts

[Commander Tangent 861]

Useually I distract myself from the thoughts for some time, and approach things later with a calmer mind and more neutral thinking.

[They call me Loyalty 1,941]

"Getting rid" somehow implies to neglect the conflict. I'd suggest understanding the root cause, without labeling.

Acceptance and a playful attitude towards life.

[Lucky Star 971]

Listening to AKB48 music tends to help me when I'm feeling the blues.
Or sometimes I'll listen to show tunes, or pony music. 

Lost by 4everfreebrony is a good song for reflection. 

[Luminance 2,181]

When I seek a refuge from these thoughts I go outside and surround myself in nature. You begin to feel how your life is so much more than these things you perceived. Just like the wind and trees on how they constantly work against each other, they still prevail even in such odds.

[K1539 47]

I am one to dwell on theoretical worst case scenarios. For me, getting rid of some thoughts is as easy as willing them dead on the spot. Other times it requires a distraction. FiM is a distraction. Anything to get my mind off whatever it is. I don't usually bother getting rid of the thoughts if it requires a distraction. I don't always allow myself to act on feelings so it doesn't matter if I have them. Even fears. Sometimes I'll be thinking something, and it will be distracting, and I'll just tell myself that those thoughts serve no purpose and I'll will them away.. I don't know if everyone else can do that. SO I'd have to say just take up a hobby. Something time consuming, requiring full mental attention. Learn something new. Learn how to do digital painting. Anything that you can do which requires your mental attention. It cannot be something like jogging if jogging is something you can do instinctively without thinking. You can't have the mind freed up or it might run away from you with those thoughts.

[Techno Universal 2,575]

Well I actually developed a auto-reset system in my head. The thing is that my head now works in a way very similar to a computer so I can easily monitor and change things in my mindset. So when dark thoughts start to appear my mind automatically identifies them as glitches and auto-resets. When it resets it will restart my thought system and start it on what's in my current surroundings. I'm actually amazed of how my mindset developed into something very similar to a self-aware computer system!!!

[CheeryFox 23,811]

I'll listen to music or try positive thinking/reinforcement if need be. 

[PonyMage 227]

 

Seriously. Best way to avoid negative thoughts. Cut them off. Think of other things. If necessary just make your mind a blank altogether.

[Member Berry 1,217]

Well I actually developed a auto-reset system in my head. The thing is that my head now works in a way very similar to a computer so I can easily monitor and change things in my mindset. So when dark thoughts start to appear my mind automatically identifies them as glitches and auto-resets. When it resets it will restart my thought system and start it on what's in my current surroundings. I'm actually amazed of how my mindset developed into something very similar to a self-aware computer system!!!

LOL, this post reminded me of this scene from Malcolm in the Middle

 

 

Seriously, though, that sounds pretty sweet. I wish I could mentally train myself to do something like that.

[Lil Pip 775]

Boredom is probably what causes it, along with belief in negative supernatural forces, fear of the dark, how brain development normally is for a teen perhaps, and prolly more. Bullied kids get more nightmares on average, or kids who saw too much violent media growing up, or have angsty ideas about the world due to negative news sensationalism etc. Another factor is stress, poor sleep, too much caffeine, etc. 

[SquipyCheetah 448]

Drawing, reading, watching ponies, playing video games, just simply sleeping or breathing... I dunno. All the basic stuff I guess.

[Midnight Solace 5,129]

Drawing sometimes helps make the bad thoughts go away. If it doesn't, I would probably throw myself against a wall until it stops.

[Here No Longer 5,270]

I have to basically try to cancel them out with other thoughts. I have to make myself think about something else in order for them to stop, and even then I have to try and focus on that other thought over the darker thought and, honestly, it's not really easily done.

[Olly 1,008]

Try rationalizing your thoughts, and figure out what's bothering you. Once you figure it out, think of everything you can do to address those issues. Keep yourself calm, be mindful and don't let yourself be overtaken by your own thoughts- you have control over them and it's important you know this so you can go about managing them better. 

[TBD 17,228]

I enjoy contemplating, so I just let it get through my head beside suppressing it. 

[碇 シンジン 27,427]

for me I kinda stopped thinking altogether as nowadays it feels like I dont have any unwanted thoughts or any thoughts for that matter most of the time

Edited December 23, 2018 by Yu Ziyuan

[ExplosionMare 18,007]

I usually just try to calm down and think of something better.

[Lucky Bolt 34,914]

I very rarely get those kinds of thoughts, but when I do it's never a problem. I just force myself to think of other things...listening to my favorite music is one good way to make me forget things I don't wanna think about. 

[Mirage 24,087]

I'm a writer so dark thoughts and emotional suffering can be poured into characters for them to deal with. hehe

[The Historian 515]

I have to analyze it before I can move on. If I don't, I'll think about it for hours...

[Sunset Rose 251]

I don't try to get rid of them. That state of mind is just a part of who I am. I try to use the negative energy to motivate me to write and that keeps it from affecting others. It seems to work pretty reliably for me.

[Stardust 640]

It's what i'm dealing with atm due to things that happened like my friend leaving me and like other things i dealt with whilst being in lockdown. It is hard not to keep thinking about these things, and you can't force yourself into things.

In normal times you go outside a lot more so these thoughts get less chance to build up. As well as that my foot is recovering from an small accident where I twisted my ankle should get better if I take good care ^^ but means less mobility.

Well there is cbt techniques that like you pick out the distortions and you reframe thoughts. Or other techniques that are just about reversing the thought and decreasing attachment to them. Your thoughts influence your behaviour and how you feel. So these are useful. Also just peacefully observing your thoughts helps.

Im making efforts in improving my drawing, reading lots of books and watching things though videos can get tiring after a while.

I do vent a bit and I get that can be unhealthy long term to put you in a certain mindset. But it does help for me a bit to get things off my chest at least a little bit. 

Creative stuff helps generally and maybe i'd even think of writing a story but i'm pretty weak at writing lol

[Dreambiscuit 8,022]

I work on something creative. That's my best outlet and it usually works because it uses up a lot of my brain. Watching a movie helps too, but my secret weapon, when all else fails, is ballet. When I watch ballet there's hope in the universe again and I can function.

[DubWolf 16,587]

Easy ish, start thinking about something else  . Unfortunately unless the thought spontaneously came to me, there are some things I see or hear that make it harder to immediately forget.

[Splashee 28,537]

I haven't had any of those kind of thoughts for a long time now, meaning, if I do get them, I have no way to get rid of them. So no, I have no solution.

I have so many fun little and big projects in my life that keeps me busy and entertained, that I don't find the time to think dark and unhappy thoughts