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There was a study in which Dr. Judith Grob showed that suppressing negative emotions could have negative benefits on your mental health and cognition. But what if we learned from our negative emotions, or maybe even rewire our negative thoughts?

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has been used by psychologists and therapists since [cite]. I personally have learned CBT and can speak from experience: it has done wonders for my life.

I think that there is too much negativity in the world. The world needs more positivity, and we can each do our part to bring more positive energy to the world. But how can we only project positivity when we ourselves feel so negatively? Surely we can't suppress our negative emotions; after all, Dr. Grob showed that has consequences.

Instead, we can strive to turn our negative emotions into something productive. We can learn from them. We can analyze them.

When you feel a negative emotion like fear, anger, hate, guilt, shame, or sadness, think about why you feel that way. What is the root cause? It's not always obvious, but keep asking yourself that question. Write the answers down in a journal if it helps.

Next, read over your negative thoughts, paying careful attention . Do you notice any of the following: Are you trying to predict the future? For example, are you worried because you know your presentation is going to go horribly tomorrow? Are you trying to read other people's minds? For example, are you anxious because your boss thinks you're a total idiot?

Our negative emotions are data, and they provide useful information about our perception of the world.

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