Positive Self Talk

The self talk habit is one that is often solidified in childhood, whether positive, negative or a mix. Then over the years this - self talk - tends to color the way we live our day to day lives, from every event we experience to every decision we make. However, the good news is that we can change it anytime we want, and now is a better time than any to change and create a more positive self talk. Not only will having more positive self talk boost productivity but can also help with increased self-confidence and more stress relief. We will present a few strategies with which one can create more positive self talk in one's life.

First, you can begin with noticing the patterns: once you are more conscious of your internal dialogue, it will become much easier to navigate through the thoughts and alter them. 

One sure way of tracking such activity is by keeping a journal: you can carry a journal with you and make a note of self talk throughout the day, or write out a summary at the end of the day, whichever is preferable; journaling can surely provide great insight into the internal dialogue taking place daily to later analyze and make changes. 



Second, after you are aware of the internal dialogue, you can begin by changing the negative internal dialogue to a positive one. 

One method of accomplishing the above is by incorporating milder wording: in your self talk, replacing emotionally charged words with milder versions of them can help in neutralizing the feelings, for instance - instead of using words like 'hate' or 'angry' - you can use words like 'dislike' or 'annoyed'.

Another way of combating negative self talk is to change it to neutral or positive self talk: if you find yourself having a negative thought, for example - having plans cancelled last minute to something you were looking forward to can seem negative initially, but think of what you can do with the new free time you've gained. So, if a negative thought or event takes place that kicks off the negative self talk, attempt to think of a positive that combats the negative in that situation (and once you pause to think of them, they will be there).  

An additional method is to change self-limiting statements to questions: self-limited statements can be damaging to self-esteem and confidence and can also cause stress. Next time a thought that comes across your mind that may go something like the following: "I cannot do this!" and "This is impossible!" change it to "How can I do this?" and "How is this possible?" will turn it into a more hopeful situation and open up more possibilities, which in turn, can help in reducing stress and boosting confidence.

 Positive affirmations can be incredibly helpful solidifying a more positive internal dialogue. These positive affirmations can be desired outcomes and goals and short and focused. By repeating them and even reading them out loud with emotion will make it that much more powerful and can give way to a new set of beliefs, creating a more positive internal dialogue.

Focus on enjoyable moments: while challenges and difficult times are inevitable, the enjoyable moments come as well- and to hold onto those memories and thoughts and focusing on them can aide in creating a more positive outlook overall. You can choose to fill your mind with positive images, in fact, you can choose to do a fun project to make it a point to focus on the positive once, at least every day with the following - https://100happydays.com/

Lastly, practice, practice and more practice! The more you practice in changing the self talk to a more positive one, the better you will become at it, just like exercising any muscle of the body can make it stronger, changing the brain and mind act similarly and require practice!