Happy Saturday Folks! I hope the start of 2017 has been going as smoothly for you as it has been for me. As I shared 2 weeks ago, I’ve got a lot in store for myself this year. From lettering to blogging and gardening later in the year (just to name a few projects), I’ve got my hands full. If you’re like me, juggling from one task to another can be a bit overwhelming at times. It may start to take a toll on your mental ability to keep pushing yourself forward. If you ever have moments like these, being mentally strong and present is the biggest key to guiding you back to positive, healthy thoughts. A method to help you stay grounded is tuning into your self-talk.
What is Self Talk?
Self-talk is basically your inner voice. They are the things you say to yourself but not aloud. Depending on your self-esteem level, your self-talk can be negative or positive. Negative self-talk includes berating or speaking low of yourself, feeling hopelessness or useless, and overall putting yourself down. Positive self-talk includes words of encouragement, setting goals, being more optimistic versus pessimistic. In an article I recently read on Mindful.org it identifies 4 common types of self-talk:
Catastrophizing – the minds way of playing what it scenarios. It involves either predicting a negative outcome or concluding that in the event of a negative outcome, it would be catastrophic.
Blaming – blaming ourselves for others pain or blaming others for our own pain, giving up your own power to make changes.
Rehashing – replaying past events repeatedly in an effort to figure something out.
Rehearsing – the mind practicing future events, the possible way an event might turn out.
Why Self-talk Matters
Our self-talk is more powerful in our mental health than we realize. In essence, the message we signal to ourselves effects our overall perspective of life. If you view things in a negative manner, it impacts the resounding message you tell yourself about yourself.
During my daily bible reading, I came across Matthew 15:11 which says ” What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them”. It continues to say in verse 18, “But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them.”
If your inner voice transmits messages that empower you, it will impact your mood and your will to succeed. You’ll start to focus only on the things that bring your joy and will be better equipped to battle negative thoughts. Self-talk can be more than a confidence booster. If you look at it from a neuroscience point of view it might be more like internal remodeling. Channeling your self-talk into positive affirmations is like a restructuring of the mind, especially if you don’t already think that way.
How To Change Your Self-Talk
Change is never easy, particularly when it involves a behavior unbeknownst to you. Formulating healthy self-talk can be a key to keeping you on track with your goals and prioritizing your life. Here are some tips to help you work on your self-talk:
Be Mindful of your self-talk. Actively tune into the dialogue you have within. Try to identify when you’re being unnecessarily harsh or critical of yourself. What kind of self-talk are you experiencing? Are you playing the blame game or obsessing over a past experience? This will involve learning to be open and honest with yourself.
Let Go of any negative views that you may have about yourself. Most of the time, we tend to be our worst critics. It’s time to give credit when credit is due. If you really want to be a better version of yourself or reconnect to a part of you that may be lost, embrace new habits that add value to your life and see yourself as empowered. This really is all about you. If you envision the life you want, start the steps to make it a reality.
Call Yourself Out. Acknowledge when you’re being negative. Is this energy that can be placed somewhere else? Most likely the answer is yes! This was a big area that helped me tremendously in breaking free from a negative mindset. Being mindful of your own negative connotation makes you more accountable in making conscious decisions to feel otherwise.
I hope this advice truly does helps you. I am still learning, but I enjoy sharing the knowledge I’ve gained so far in order to help others. When you become aware of your inner language to yourself, you can decide whether this is a feeling you want to fester around you. Gaining that level of control will take time and patience, just stay open to the process.
P.S Hahaha moment, I just noticed I spelled my title wrong on my drawing for this post. I don’t understand how I keep doing that!!! 😀 😀 😀 All good though It’s all relevant!