Written by: Dr. Denise L Morrison, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Negative self-talk is a problem for many people. It can take the form of mental abuse, limiting beliefs and thoughts that we tell ourselves and others about our abilities and worth as humans.
It’s the voice that tells you that you’re not good enough or smart enough, and it has a way of making us feel like we’re stuck in a negative cycle of emotions like anxiety or depression. Our self-talk can even sabotage our best efforts to stay motivated to do what we need to do in life.
However, there are many ways to overcome this negativity and live life as your best self. This article will give you 5 ways to overcome negative self-talk so you can live a happier more successful life!
The first thing to do is understand what self-talk is and how it works.
Self-talk is what we say to ourselves both internally and out loud. It can be self-talk such as “I’m not good enough” or self-talk like “this isn’t worth my time”.
This self-talk can manifest itself in the form of self-doubt, which makes it hard for people to follow through with their goals.
One way to think about self-talk is like self-fulfilling prophecies. For example, if you believe that you’re not good enough for something and then don’t try to do well in school or at a job, a self-fulfilling prophecy would say that you won’t do well and miss out on opportunities.
The next thing to understand is that self-talk can be either positive or negative, but it’s usually a mix of the two.
Negative self-talk can hurt someone’s life. It can lead to anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues. It can also cause someone to make bad decisions and have low self-confidence.
Positive self-talk, on the other hand, can have a positive impact on someone’s life. It can help them stay positive and motivated, and it can also help them achieve their goals. Positive self-talk can also improve someone’s mental health and self-esteem.
Self-talk can be sneaky
Self-talk is the self-directed speech we have in our heads. Usually, self-talk is not something we notice but it happens multiple times a day, every moment of every day. People who practice self-talk talk to themselves about what they are doing and how they are feeling. They use self-talk as a way to motivate and encourage themselves.
Self-talk has a lot of power. It can make us feel good or bad about ourselves. Positive self-talk can help us stay positive and confident, while negative self-talk can lead to self-doubt and low self-esteem.
It’s important to be aware of the kind of self-talk we do. If you find that self-talk includes negative thoughts or self-criticism, it might be time to make some changes. Try turning self-criticism into self-compassion and self-doubt into self-trust.
5 ways to overcome negative self-talk
The next thing to do to begin improving self-talk is to identify the negative self-talk in your life. Write down any examples of negative self-talk that come to your mind, such as self-talk that makes you feel bad about yourself or self-talk that could affect other areas of your life. Once you have a list of the negative self-talk in your life, you can start replacing it with positive self-talk to improve self-confidence and self-esteem.
Whenever you find yourself saying something negative, stop yourself and say something positive instead.
For example, if you catch yourself saying “I messed up” or “that’s not good enough”, replace those self-talk phrases with self-talk like “It’s okay, everyone makes mistakes” or “I can do better next time”.
Another way to encourage yourself is to give yourself a pep talk before trying something new. Tell yourself that you’re capable and that you can do it.
Finally, practice self-compassion. Beating yourself up for making a mistake will only make things worse, but self-compassion will help you move on from your mistake.
All of these strategies can help improve self-talk, but it takes time and practice to make them a habit. Start with one or two of the strategies and work on incorporating them into your daily life.
The more positive self-talk you have, the more motivated and confident you will be.
How do I start practicing my new self-talk?
Start with these 5 ways to overcome negative self-talk:
Become aware of the self-talk you do. Self-talk is usually done without thinking, so it can be helpful to write self-talk down when you notice it. Repeating self-talk out loud can also help make it more clear to you what kind of self-talk you typically use.
Catch negative self-talk in action and replace it with positive self-talk. If you catch yourself saying negative things about yourself, replace them with positive self-talk. For example, if you catch yourself thinking “I’m so stupid,” say to yourself “I am smart and capable.”
Make a self-talk mantra. A self-talk mantra is a short phrase or sentence that you can repeat to yourself when you need a boost. It can be something as simple as “I am strong” or “I can do this.”
Be patient with yourself. It takes time to change the way you talk to yourself, so be patient and keep practicing.
Call a friend, coach, or mentor to listen to your self-talk and give you feedback.
Self-talk is an important part of our lives. By becoming aware of self-talk and how it affects us, we can learn to use self-talk as a healthy and positive thing.
What have we learned?
We’ve learned that self-talk is an important part of our lives, and it can be either positive or negative.
Negative self-talk can have a really negative impact on someone’s life, while positive self-talk can have a really positive impact on their life. Additionally, self-talk is something that can be changed and improved with practice, so it’s important to catch negative self-talk in action and replace it with positive self-talk.
If you find yourself stuck in a cycle of negativity, there are some self-care strategies that might help. Identifying and labeling your feelings is one strategy, while self-care is another.
Finally, seeking out positive experiences can also be helpful. This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to self-talk; if you want more self-talk and self-care resources, set up a time to meet with Denise. All of us have experienced negative self-talk that discourages and demoralizes us. It’s the voice that tells you that certain things about yourself are not good enough, like your intelligence or sense of humor for example. Negative self-talk can affect our mood, emotions, behavior, motivation levels, and even physical health. But it doesn’t need to be this way! There are many ways to overcome negativity which we’ll explore in future blog posts – but until then here’s one important takeaway: don’t let bad thoughts define who you are; instead focus on what makes YOU great.
As your coach, guide, and thinking partner, I can help you find the courage within yourself so that you can live your best life by being mindful of how your thoughts affect what matters most in this world. Let me be there for you on the journey of getting out of negative self-talk mode and into feeling more confident about who you are at work, home, or play—I want to hear from you today!
Set up a time to chat with me.
Dr. Denise L Morrison, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Denise Morrison is the CEO of Intuitively Unique Coaching, her Holistic Brand of Health/Life Coaching. She struggled for decades to overcome traumatic experiences from her own past. She compensated for her lack of confidence with degrees and professional success. She numbed her pain with addictive eating and self-abusive behaviors. And when she finally turned to the right teachers and coaches, she learned that change does not need to take decades. Change can actually be instantaneous. And change can be lasting. After having worked for many years in healthcare, Denise felt a pull and a passion for working with people on a deeper and more transformational level.
Her academic mind was drawn to the evidence-based practices of nutrition and exercise, but she was also compelled by the more mystical therapies emerging from neuroscience and quantum healing.
Denise sought out the best training in health and wellness, life coaching, and Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) so that she would have access to the most powerful tools to help others change their lives for the better.
