5 Steps to Release Toxic Emotions

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Have you ever wondered why some people always seem to have a positive outlook on life regardless of challenges and disappointments? Why do others, who seem to have it all, worry, are unsatisfied and judgmental? How each of us responds to our emotions will dictate our views on life. Some of us are more resilient and can let negative situations go easily, while others cling to the pain, stress, and guilt.

Negative emotions, like rage, envy or bitterness, tend to spiral out of control, especially immediately after they've been triggered. In time, these sorts of emotions can grow like weeds, slowly conditioning the mind to function on detrimental feelings and dominating daily life.

Those that have problems releasing their negative emotions, though, aren't out of luck. Through training yourself to be more conscious of how you address your emotions, you can change your behavior leading towards a more positive outlook on life.

Here are some steps you can take to overcome your negative thinking and let your pain go.

Ask For Support

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If we want to make any significant change in our lives, we’ll need the support of the people closest to us. Taking charge of our emotions definitely falls in that category. By talking to someone you trust it allows you to look at things from another angle and modify your behavior. They might be able to help you identify the areas you are really struggling in, and give you advice on how to change. Maybe you really show the most negativity after a long day at work, so your friend could give you a call on your way home each day to cheer you up and give you a safe space to vent. They can also provide accountability, and call you out when you are letting your negative emotions take over you.

Restructure How You Speak

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It’s important to pay close attention to not only how you speak to others, but how you speak to yourself. Be aware of how you are speaking and try and improve it. Are you using harsh, extreme words like “always”, “never”, "the worst will happen", "what if it happened to me?”, "all", and "nothing"? You will be surprised how many negative emotions are because this language, because it gives no wiggle room. By identifying when you use definitive language, you will see just how harsh you are being towards yourself and towards others, which further generates negativity. For example, you might be angry that you didn’t stick to your diet and tell yourself things like “I will never be good enough” then you only create negativity. However you can restructure you say by thinking “I will try again tomorrow”.

Prevent Negative Emotions From Happening

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If you know the origins of your negative emotions, you can start to develop a list of potential situations that trigger such negativity and try to avoid them. For example you might want to remove some toxic people from your life, or avoid drinking alcohol if they typically lead to bad situations. If you can't avoid the situation completely, you can have prepackaged replacement thoughts so when negative emotions do arise, you can work towards correcting them. For example, if you tend to talk down negatively to yourself when getting ready for a date because you have nothing to wear, prepare a few "go-to" outfits you know you feel confident in, and say allowed in the mirror "you are beautiful" when negative thoughts come up.