I still have negative thoughts that pop up every day. The difference between myself now and the self destructive mess I used to be is that I don’t bite when those bad thoughts come swimming in front of me.
That's just the best way to get rid of them. When factors beyond my control tries to weigh me down, I think of how much worse it could be, and then I try to get busy with something else.
It doesn't work all the time for me either, because sometimes I ask myself why I have to look at the glass as half full, and if it'll make me ungrateful to view it half empty as it obviously is.
Both ways, I find doing something that I have absolute control of at that moment helps to take the sadness off.
Sleeping could work, but I can't sleep when I'm tensed or worried...I mostly pace.
So occupying my mind with positive thoughts, and getting my hands busy, is basically how I cope with it.
I don’t even bother with how much worse it could be, I just try to focus on how meaningless my focusing on those things is and how it won’t accomplish anything and simply not focusing on them might.
Regardless of the methods, it takes practice! Surrounding yourself with positive people helps.
It sure does.