I often stay on my phone late to distract from negative thoughts in my mind, how can I avoid these negative thoughts getting out of control without going on my phone.

In the past I had a very horrible moment,, I couldn’t control my mind and my thoughts. So I developed a system to stop the negativity: I repeated in my mind a receipt or a song and I stopped the negative thoughts. Try something simple.

There is no easy way to completely remove negative thoughts but I have a few suggestions. Start a gratitude journal and instead of negative thoughts, start to spend time thinking about what you can be grateful for. It could be fresh air, sunlight, clean water, etc. It is also important to deal with your emotions. If you feel sad, let yourself feel sad instead of distracting yourself. It won't be fun and it will take time to feel better but starting with these steps may lead to positive change. Good luck!

I read a physical book instead, something that I’m interested in eg right now I’m reading a book on the importance of storytelling, and it’s really well researched and written. I try to read things that are either informative/interesting or lighthearted so it won’t weigh heavily on my mind and keeps me distracted with useful information. It also helps me to wind down better because I’m reading paper instead of reading from a screen. I find I get drowsy faster and sleep better.

I usually start by remembering that I am not what I think. Journaling usually helps clear my mind. Whether it helps me see on paper what I am actually thinking and relating that to my reality or it might be that it just needs to get out of my head. If I don’t want to get out of bed, I turn on a meditation or two. That usually helps. Most of the time my phone perpetuates my negative thinking and poor sleep habits. So, I try to be strict with my phone use so I don’t end up staying up all night with negativity and anxiety and self-doubt.

A great way to deal with negative thoughts is by tackling them head on through stream of consciousness writing. Grab a pen and some paper and write down the things that are bothering you, they are living free rent in your head space and don't belong there before bed time! Remind yourself that in the morning you can always review these pages and try to find a balanced way to approach them. For now just get them out of your head, on paper and then get to bed!

A bedtime activity .something like reading a book or having herbal tea just before bed meditation anything to keep yourself busy but also relaxed

I like to run through the alphabet and pick a word that starts with each letter (no specific meaning required) because it makes me concentrate my thoughts on finishing the list and not overthinking. It usually helps me stop my mind racing when I'm trying to fall asleep

It definitely takes time, I suggest maybe journaling those thoughts at night, read a book, watch your favourite tv show to distract your mind. Most importantly your bed should be a happy place and comfort zone try going to bed when you are completely tired and avoid staying in your room all day then the thoughts become louder. Also saying random things outloud gets me really distracted and helps me fall alseep faster

I started finding audiobooks to engage my mind but without looking at my phone and the blue light. I choose peaceful ones to lull me to sleep. That or sleep podcasts- there are lots out there!