Whatever you tell yourself you’re programming your subconscious mind to believe it. If you’re telling yourself that you’re not happy and feeling miserable that’s how you will feel. Don’t tell something to yourself that you wouldn’t tell someone you love.
The benefits of positive self-talk and what is self-talk
Your thoughts determine your feelings, your feelings determine your actions and your actions determine your results. If you are unhappy it is because you are thinking of unhappy things. The same way when you’re happy it’s because you’re thinking of happy things.
What is self-talk? It’s the internal narrative that you hold about yourself. Our internal dialogue is a stream of affirmations. Whether it’s personal commentary, thoughts on life, the circumstances of your day or something else, you have the opportunity to fill your day with positive self-talk.
No one has ever taught us how to think and talk. What we can control is changing those thoughts and self-talk from negative to positive. By focusing on your subconscious thoughts you are able to create the belief system that you want for yourself.
Your life won’t turn around overnight. It takes time, patience and dedication. Focus your energy on the things you can change and not on the things you can’t change.
“Watch what you tell yourself, you’re likely to believe it.” – Russ Kyle
Here are some of the benefits of positive self-talk:
- Helps reduce stress
- Helps boost confidence
- Helps build resilience
- Helps build deeper and better relationships
- Reduces your risk of self-harm
- Makes you feel more in control of your life
- Helps with chronic pain
- Motivates you to overcome obstacles
Mental health and the benefits of positive self talk
Researchers continue to explore the effects of positive thinking and optimism on our mental and physical health.
A healthy lifestyle will help you with having a positive self-talk. If you feel good both inside and outside this will be reflected with that you tell yourself.
Tip: Never say anything to yourself that you wouldn’t tell someone you know. You would tell your best friend: ‘You look fat’ or ‘You are dumb’, why tell it to yourself?
Negative self-talk tends to make people pretty miserable and can even impact their recovery from mental health difficulties.
The more you work towards that positive self-talk the easier it will get. A really good exercise that I give to my clients during our coaching sessions is to repeat positive affirmations on a daily basis. Practising positive affirmations can be extremely simple, and have a massive positive effect on you. All you need to do is pick a phrase and repeat it to yourself.
Furthermore, I always recommend standing in front of a mirror and repeating the following affirmations (see some examples in the paragraph below). It’s important that you look at yourself in the eyes when you repeat the positive affirmations.
Positive affirmations require regular practice if you want to make lasting, long-term changes to the ways that you think and feel.
Difference between positive self talk and negative self talk
Positive self-talk examples and negative self-talk examples:
Self-talk can be both positive and negative. Most of your self-talk depends on your personality. If you’re optimistic that’s because you have positive self-talk and if you’re a pessimist is because you have negative self-talk.
On one hand, positive self-talk makes you feel good about yourself. Research suggests that people with positive self-talk may have mental skills that allow them to solve problems, think differently, and know how to handle challenges.
Examples of positive self-talk:
“I use my failures as a stepping stone”.
“I am more than enough”.
“The world needs what I have to offer”.
“I am a highly motivated person, and nothing can stop me”.
“I have great ideas”.
“I attract people that love me unconditionally”.
On the other hand, negative self-talk makes you feel crappy about yourself. It happens to all of us and it can become challenging to shake it off if you’re constantly in the loop hole.
Examples of negative self-talk:
“Nobody likes me, I should stop trying to make friends”.
“I don’t like anything about myself”.
“I’m never going to achieve that”.
“Everyone thinks I’m an idiot”.
“I’m not good enough”.
“I can’t do anything right now. I shouldn’t even try.”
How to practise positive self-talk:
- The next time a new negative thought pops up in your mind, write it down and reframe that negative thought patter into a more positive and empowering one.
- Be aware of what you’re saying to yourself. Stop for a second and acknowledge the emotions that come up.
- Challenge your thoughts by asking yourself if it’s actually true.
If you would like to learn more about how to stop negative self-talk I am currently offering free negative self-talk reprogramming coaching sessions. Book fast because slots can run out fast. Click here to book your session.
