How To Steer Your Brain Back From Negativity After Trauma

In a perfect world where there was no chronic stress, no traumatic experiences, and daily pressures of life, we would all think positive…

BUT this isn’t the case.

Many people who have been through the ringer in life are often plagued with negative thinking.

Have you ever walked through a revolving door?

Well, someone who has been bombarded with potentially detrimental situations keeps pushing that door and doesn’t make it out.

Their thoughts from the past swirl around in their minds.

And this can feel like a mental prison.

The person who is constantly thinking about past trauma is not doing this on purpose.

To my knowledge, this is something that they don’t know how to get rid of.  Some people who have gone through unimaginable things want to feel free from pain.

But they don’t have the proper tools to create more peace in their life.

Many people are prescribed medications to cope with mental health decline.  However, medications don’t get rid of the issue…

And in most cases, they make the problems worse.

Why?

Because of the side effects and their inability to get at the root cause. 

Another way that people try to heal themselves is unfortunately through substance abuse.   

Substance abuse also does not solve the problem. 

This can potentially create a lifelong dependency and lead to death. 

The good news is you don’t have to struggle with negative thinking…

And there are healthier ways to deal with pain from trauma. 

Let’s look at what to do when you have constant reminders of your past by steering your brain back from negativity with holistic methods. 

When you do, you’ll feel more vibrant, have more will to live, and have a more positive outlook on life than before.

The Origin of Negative Thinking

When you focus on the negative experiences this will put you in a depressive mood.  You will feel unsafe and anxious because your brain is structured that way due to trauma.   

This is called, “negative neuroplasticity.”   

Neuroplasticity alone has a process that affects the adaptive structure and functional changes of the brain. 

When someone has had poor life experiences this can drastically change the structure and function in a negative way. 

Thankfully, the brain can be rewired to think more positive and create more positive experiences.

Steering Your Brain from Negativity

To think more positively you will need to create a positive neural pathway.  To create something new you will have to shed the old.

And even though someone knows that they have gone through trauma, that doesn’t mean that they know what’s holding them back. 

The good news is once you know what’s holding you back you can move forward. 

How can you discover what’s causing negative thinking? 

You will have to get at the root cause.

This can be achieved through these three invaluable steps:

# 1 Do A Brain Dump

Get every thought that comes to mind out on paper.  At this point you’re not making a list or prioritizing.  You simply want a visual of everything in your head, so you don’t feel anxious about missing anything.

# 2 Make A List

Next, from that brain dump, make a list of 5-7 things that are creating negative thought patterns in your brain.  This is what I like to call a “Breaking Free from Trauma in 5-7 Steps Checklist”. 

Because you can visually see the steps you need to take to feel more peace and a sense of accomplishment. 

# 3. Rewiring 

Now, going in order, start with the first negative memory on that list.  Think about how it made you feel, think, and act after it happened.

You may be thinking, “I don’t want to relive this.” 

I completely understand…

And I see your point.

However, you are already living with this trauma every day, and by doing this exercise you will see that it will bother you less and less over a smaller period. 

So, once you jot down how it made you feel, think, and act… 

Write down how you want to feel, think, and act moving forward in your life. 

Repeat these steps for all 5-7 items on your list to achieve maximum results. 

The idea is to recreate your thought patterns so you can have higher vibrational life experiences. 

Now that you have created a positive neural pathway, you may be thinking, “How do I refocus my attention when a negative thought or memory arises?” 

To refocus your attention, you want to say positive affirmations and mantras.  For example, “I am present, I am safe, I am loved.” 

One of my favorite mantras for people who have gone through trauma is, “What happened to me is not who I am and what I experienced is not my burden to carry.” 

Now, use what you learned about how to think more positive after trauma to have a more vibrant life. 

Remember that this is a gradual process, and you can have success! 

These are my recommendations based on research and my own personal life. 

When I started getting at the root cause of every problem I had, I found solutions.  And I felt a sense of healthy euphoria, not depressed.  It also helped me realize that I was meant to live a joyful life and no matter what the circumstance there’s always a light at the end of the tunnel. 

Give it a try and see how steering your brain from negativity due to trauma works for you.