Breaking Free From Negative Thinking
Negative thinking can be addictive, feeling good on some level, but not to you or your physical body. This addiction is fueled by what Eckhart Tolle refers to as the "pain body," an emotional field that thrives on negativity. The pain body seeks more of the same energy by generating further negative thoughts in your mind. It feeds on these thoughts, especially when it doesn't receive enough "food" through drama in your relationships.
The key to breaking free is to sever the link between your thought processes and the pain body. To do this, you need to cultivate awareness and presence. When you become aware of negative thoughts arising, immediately notice their repetitiveness, pointlessness, and untruth. Recognize that you, as the awareness, do not want these thoughts; the pain body does.
Byron Katie's work offers a helpful approach: Question your thoughts. Ask yourself, "Is that true?" In most cases, when you genuinely inquire whether you truly know a thought to be true, its power diminishes. It's like taking the valve out of an inflatable toy. The air (or the power of the thought) goes out.
By cultivating awareness and questioning your thoughts, you can begin to break free from the vicious cycle of negative thinking, and reclaim your mental and emotional well-being.
Video reference: https://youtu.be/A8dTx1co8xA