The Power of Positive Self-Talk

How positive self-talk can do wonders in your life….

There is a voice inside our head which has a huge impact on you and the way you live your life. We are in constant dialogue with ourselves. This dialogue ranges from basic instruction such as how to plan a day to more complex scenarios and dilemmas we face every day. Self-talk is the internal narrative that we hold about ourselves.

Self-talk is often a mix of our conscious and unconscious thoughts and beliefs that we hold about ourselves and the world around us. Self-talk can be both positive and negative.

Do you hear yourself criticizing your actions? Do you hear yourself saying that “You can do this”? These are examples of negative self-talk. The negative self-talk is based on our preconceived notions that “you are not good enough”, “life is difficult”, “people are not trustworthy.”

Let’s focus on positive self-talk. Positive self-talk motivates and encourages you to become better at things, do your work, and helps you become more positive about life. It uplifts your moods, boost your confidence, and helps you adopt healthier lifestyles.

Positive self-talk is not self-deception. It is not mentally looking at circumstances with eyes that see only what you want to see. Rather, positive self-talk is about recognizing the truth, in situations, and yourself. 

Let us look at some of the ways to practice positive self-talk!

How to practice positive self-talk?

Often we find ourselves engaging in negative self-talk. We rarely find ourselves practicing positive self-talk. Positive self-talk needs to become part of your daily routine. You need to practice it regularly before it becomes a habit.

You might find it weird to engage in positive self-talk (trust me I did too). But I forced myself to practice it daily; and now it comes naturally to me.

Here are some techniques which you can follow and make positive self-talk part of your life.

Counter and Reframe your Negative Self-Talk

Well, you must be thinking that this is so obvious. Identify some of your common negative self-talk dialogues. In my case it used to be “I can’t do it”, “I am good for nothing” etc. What I did was to take note of these phrases and reflect on them.

I asked myself how are these statements useful; are these statements pushing me towards my goals or do I end up in the vicious circle of criticism. After reflecting the next step is reframing. Let’s look at some examples.

Negative Statement	Positive Statement
I can’t even do a simple task.	I am proud of myself for making an effort. I will perform better next time
I have never done it before. I don’t think I will be able to do it	It’s a wonderful opportunity to learn something new.
I will let my entire team down if I don’t work hard.	It’s a team project, we are in this together.
I am unhealthy and fat	I am capable and strong. I will make healthy choices for myself.

I hope you got an idea about how we can reframe our negative thoughts into a more positive statement. Grab a pen and paper, write down your negative statements and try framing them into more positive ones.

Show Yourself Some Love

Self-love can do wonders and can help you counter your negative thought patterns. People who practice self-love have a more positive stance towards situations and life in general. They don’t end up criticizing themselves for every small mistake they make.

Practicing self-love will help you deal with the guilt that will arise after eating an extra slice of pizza or cheesecake.

Let’s do some self-disclosure here. I have been overweight since childhood. I have tried all sorts of diets and workouts, but nothing worked. I used to feel guilty and criticize myself for eating a slice of pizza or a scoop of ice cream. Things have changed, I have become better. What helped was self-love and self-compassion. I am in a much better mental state now.

Laugh Out Loud (LOL)

Doctors have rightly said it for ages, “Laughter is the best medicine.” Indeed, it is. When you find yourself in a stressful situation, and you know you will end up engaging in self-criticism and negative self-talk, try diverting your mind with some humor or laughter. Humour lighten ups the mood, relieves tension and stress, and makes you feel better. So Laugh Out Loud!

I usually watch my favorite stand-up comics or scroll my favorite meme page on Instagram when I want to distract myself.

Practice your affirmations!

Affirmations are positive statements that have a positive effect on your overall well-being. Practicing affirmations daily overwrites the deep-rooted, existing, limited, and problematic beliefs. These positive words can help you redirect your thoughts. Check out some powerful affirmations here 

Your thoughts become your words; your words become your action! Positive self-talk and positive thinking are very powerful. Practicing them daily and making them part of your lifestyle can do wonders in your life.

What do you think about positive self-talk? Let us know in the comments.