“Take care when you talk to yourself because you are the one who is listening.”
It is common for us to have a conversation with ourselves in our minds, conversations where we give instructions to ourselves while performing daily tasks, or conversations where we try motivating ourselves.
Self-talk refers to the internal narrative one holds about oneself. It is a person’s inner voice, that we usually don’t pay attention to. But it sure does influence how we see ourselves and the world around us.
A positive self-talk is a powerful tool for increasing one’s self-confidence and curbing negative emotions. If practiced regularly, it can work wonders!
Getting started with the Positive Self – Talk Process
- Identify your negative thoughts
Spend a few days observing your inner dialogues closely. Are they more positive or negative? Identify the negative ones and write them down.
- Challenge your negative thoughts
Once you have identified your negative thought, challenge that thought by asking yourself certain questions:
- Is the belief true?
- Is it even possible to know if it’s true?
- What effects do these thoughts have on me, when I believe them?
- What are the potential consequences of not thinking this thought?
Your answers to these four questions can guide you in the best way forward.
- Switch the thought
Once you have identified and challenged your negative thoughts, it’s time to switch gears and adopt a new approach to self-talk!
For example,
Negative – I have never done this before, I may fail.
Positive – This is an excellent opportunity for me to learn something new and grow.
Negative – I am overweight and out of shape, and I can’t do anything about it.
Positive – I am capable of doing it. I want to stay fit and healthy.
- Use these positive affirmations regularly.
If you tend to have a pessimistic outlook, you can’t expect to become an optimist overnight. It comes with practice; eventually, your self-talk will contain less self-criticism and more self-acceptance. Start practicing self-talk in front of a mirror with positive praise for yourself. Sometimes, narrating positive words or seeing inspiring images can be enough to redirect your thoughts.
Impact of Positive Self Talk
Self-talk is vital in many ways.
If we regularly give ourselves negative messages, we automatically react to situations and challenges negatively. Conversely, if we engage in positive self-talk, we begin to view the world more positively and will ultimately feel better about ourselves. It isn’t easy to always control what happens, but we can control how we react to it!
Here are some benefits of positive self-talk –
- Helps to reduce stress
- Helps to boost confidence and resilience
- Helps to build better relationships
- You empower others around you ‘if you can do it, they can too‘
- You stop comparing yourself to others
- You have a better understanding of yourself
- You have clarity in your vision
- You have a positive attitude and use better coping mechanisms when faced with challenges and problems
- You have Improved physical health
- A greater sense of purpose in life
Therefore, it is right to say that – “Positive self-talk is the key to any successful person. If you can change the voice in your mind, you can do anything!”
