5 Tips to Stop Negative Self-Talk
Negative self-talk can be rampant in our daily lives, if we let it. It can be a long-term habit. It can be a result of an encounter that we have not come back from. Negative self-talk can from depression or anxiety. It can come from low self-esteem or low self-confidence. It can come from years of abuse either self-inflicted or not. Wherever it comes from, we have the power to reverse it.
If you are still not convinced you can stop and change the script of negative self-talk, here are the benefits of changing that negative script. Saying positive things can increase your life span, it can lower rates of depression and anxiety. It can decrease your stress levels which can reduce your cardiovascular risk. More importantly, it can improve your psychological and physical well-being by sharpening your coping skills to handle stress.
So, how do we do this?
1 Be Aware
Experts say that first step is awareness. Like all things we want to improve, alter, or enhance, we need to become aware that there is a problem. Negative self-talk is pattern, a habit that we have developed over time. I am sure you have broken and changed habits in your past. This is the same idea. When a negative thought about yourself enters your thoughts, stop it. Stop that thought and begin to think about why this thought developed. Then, write it down. Write the the thought down and why you believe this thought entered your consciousness. Describe the situation. Maybe something negative happened at work or you and your partner had a argument. By analyzing this negative self-talk construct, you will begin to realized that this thought is untrue. You will begin to understand that you are so much bigger than this negative thought.
2. Alter the script
Challenge the negative self-talk. Change the script. If you are telling yourself, “I can’t do this.” Instead say, “I can do this.” I know, that is a pretty basic example but it is a good example. Say, “I can do this” out loud. Think how saying that out loud changes your feelings and how you feel about yourself. The goal is to retrain your thinking from “I can’t” to “I can.” I encourage you to practice this whenever a negative thought enters your brain. Stop the “I can never do anything right” to “I am capable, and there is evidence of me accomplishing my goals.”
3. Practice Positive Self-Talk
Practice, practice, practice. We all have heard the saying practice makes perfect. In this case, I would like to offer a new motto, “practice makes a positive-thinking mind.” If you do affirmations, this would be a great time to start saying those when negative start creeping. The more you practice, the more comfortable you feel saying them and the more you will start believing. Because, your positive affirmations are true, believe me.
4. Put Yourself in a Time Out
That’s right. Giving yourself some me-time can help you put things in perspective. I talked about journaling earlier. Journaling is a great way to get your thoughts out. Plus, if you have been documenting your journey on extinguishing negative self-talk, it is a great way to see your progress. Other ways you can spend quality me-time is by meditating, taking a walk, sitting outside, or writing things in a gratitude journal.
5. Love Yourself
We can be very critical of ourselves. We strive for perfection and perfect results. However, life is not perfect and sometimes life is not going to present us with perfect conditions. We can strive for excellence but if you are striving your perfection, I must ask you to reconsider. Instead, be nice to yourself. Better yet, practice self-love. Take it easy on yourself. You are only human. Realizing that perhaps striving for perfect results may not be the most healthiest things to do, show yourself that you are important. How do we do this? Spend time enjoying things that you like to do. Learn a new skill or craft. Find your hobbies. And while you are doing that, bring a friend a long. This journey called life is meant to be spent with friends.
You ARE worthy. You ARE enough. And, yes…. you CAN.