Do you struggle with negativity?

Negativity can become a viscous cycle and can harm the brain and body, paralyzing our imagination, disrupting the energy flow in the brain, and hijacking our mind. Our brain operates on patterns, and many times we have knowingly or unknowingly reinforced unhealthy thought patterns. Did you know that your thoughts manage your emotions? Your thoughts release hormones, either hormones that help your mood or hormones that negatively impact your mood.

You are what you think.

Why does negativity feel so powerful?

As humans, we are wired for love and our brains are biased towards optimism. Negativity comes when something in our lives feels out of balance, and we are trying to mentally sort it out. It is also a coping mechanism that we use to distract our minds from dealing with unresolved pain or trauma.

Knowing this, we can deal with negativity in a more compassionate way with ourselves. Asking ourselves questions like,

• “What triggers negativity in me?”
• “What expectations do I have that aren’t being met?”
• “How is this negativity affecting my life and relationships with those around me?”
• “What can I do to shift this negativity into a more hopeful mindset?”

Mindfulness can help us sort through negativity and not get stuck there. We CAN get back to our brain’s original design of optimism bias. Here are some simple, yet powerful tools to help you overcome negativity and live a more positive, hopeful life.

Allow Yourself Time to Think

Being too busy or distracting ourselves with technology can really impact our default thought patterns. We all need time to let our minds wander and daydream, and this is very mentally healthy! Some may call this needing to “unwind” or “just relax.”

Sometimes our responsibilities can make this really difficult, but it’s worth multiple attempts at reorganizing your schedule to find a flow that works for you. Try to find 15 minutes a day to do this and take note of how this makes you feel.

Reframe Your Perspectives

Instead of focusing on what’s going wrong in your world, ask yourself this simple question:

“What’s going right?”

Sounds silly, doesn’t it? However, I want you to take a humble approach and understand that a small seed of gratitude is very, very powerful. Life-changing, actually. Once you’ve acknowledged what you are grateful for, you don’t have to let this turn into guilt for the time you spent being negative.

Get Outside

Simply put, getting outside is sometimes of the most powerful things we can do for our moods. Many of us tend to live most of our lives indoors, but nature’s frequencies nurture the body and brain. Bonus points if you can go barefoot, as grounding with the earth has been shown to positively impact our health.

Detox Through Nutrition

It’s no secret that the foods we eat impact our mental health. Here at TRU Training, our philosophy is simple: eat whole foods, cut out the processed foods and excess sugar, and you will feel the positive effects in your body! When we eat processed foods, they often contain ingredients that alter our brain chemistry and that our then bodies have to detox and remove. This can often be felt in our emotions and ability to handle stress, putting us in a more vulnerable place to lean towards negativity.

We recommend eating balanced meals containing all 3 macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates, and fat). Choose complex carbohydrates that contain more fiber to help keep you full longer and keep your blood sugar balanced. Consuming too many simple carbohydrates alone can cause a blood sugar spike and also encourage mood swings. Excess caffeine consumption or consuming on an empty stomach can also lead to mood swings.

Focus on high quality meats, organic fruits and vegetables, and eating properly prepared grains (soaked, sprouted, or fermented). If you are used to a highly processed diet, cutting out sodas, excess sugars, and many packaged foods will make a big difference in itself! You should feel these changes rather quickly.

Making nutritional changes is a process, but one thing we focus on here at TRU Training is making sustainable changes that eventually become second nature. Begin by reading ingredient lists on your foods and asking yourself how these foods might be affecting your body and brain. If you can’t pronounce an item or if it is a long ingredients list, that is a red flag.

We also offer meal plans that give a simple blueprint to clean up your nutrition and benefit your health, physically and mentally.

Move Your Body!

Let me share an amazing fact with you:

Exercise enhances the body’s ability to experience pleasure.

Isn’t that incredible? Exercise is so good for our brains and actually sensitizes it to joy, positively impacting our rewards system and helping to foster feelings of hope and motivation about the future. It also makes us more resilient mentally and helps us to enjoy our lives more, allowing us to appreciate the beautiful moments with joy and gratitude.

Dopamine is naturally released during exercise, as well as oxytocin. This can help reduce anxiety and depression and is a powerful combatant against negativity! Oxytocin also helps us in our relationships and allows us to form deeper, meaningful connections with those around us.

Negativity weighs you down. When you are feeling negative, you can use your willpower to train yourself to shift that energy through movement. This may seem difficult at first, but the thing about willpower is that the more you use it, the more it grows. Also, having the understanding and confidence of how movement will shift your mood can help you to choose it during those times when you’re feeling negative.

Try It For Yourself

The best way to test this is to try it out for yourself! Aim for 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous movement each day, getting that heart rate elevated. If you’re a beginner and that is too difficult, start slowly with 5 minutes and intentionally work your way up. You can start with walking if you’re very deconditioned, and if you can get outside to move, all the better!

As you’re ready for more movement, TRU Training’s Sculpt program is an 8-week comprehensive, expert-designed workout program that is beginner-friendly and is truly for all levels. Sculpt will have you strength-training 3x/week and learning to harness your mind and energy through mobility flows 2x/week that can help to increase your flexibility, improve range of motion, and keep your joints, muscles, and mind healthy.

As a side note, Sculpt also comes with a nutrition plan built on the structure that has brought results for thousands of women, with fresh, new recipes!

Sculpt is just one program of many at TRU Training. Our All-Access membership gives you access to every program, meal plan, and educational course to set you up for success and help to keep your body and brain functioning optimally!

You don’t have to let negativity hijack your mind and your life. Try each of these powerful strategies to reclaim your mind and your joy!

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