The way that you talk to and treat yourself is of the utmost importance. Oftentimes we talk to ourselves in a way that we would never stand for from someone else. We may say nasty things to ourselves out of habit, not realizing that the damaging consequences of this are far reaching. The way that you talk to yourself directly correlates to the way that you treat yourself. Negative self-talk increases your stress levels. One hallmark of a good self-care ritual is engaging in positive self-talk. Read on to discover some thoughts on the importance of positive self-talk.
See Yourself Clearly
When you look at yourself in the mirror, what do you tell yourself? This might be the first time you've really ever had to think about that question, but it’s one that you should think about because how you answer will make a daily difference in your self-care. The words you speak have power and put energy out into the world. Whenever you tell yourself something negative, your words become powerful mantras that can negatively influence your self-esteem and how you see yourself in the world and even potentially how others see you as well.
That view will be skewed if it’s always bathed in negativity. Negative self-talk prevents you from getting to know your true inner self.
When you spend your time saying uplifting things about yourself, you’re going to get a more complete picture of who you are. This is not to say that you don’t have faults, as human beings, we all do, it means that you should strive to have a healthier, balanced view of yourself and all that you are capable of. So that you can then work on those parts of you that need development.
Positive Selftalk √ Increased Confidence √
Allowing yourself to see yourself completely helps to boost your confidence. That's because you are directly acknowledging the things that are good about you instead of focusing on the areas where you feel that you fall short. If you like, you can make a list. As you reflect on each item, think about the times in your life where those same attributes helped you to overcome something or solve a problem.
You’ll probably be amazed at how many times you've been able to overcome obstacles using your natural talents. If you've come this far on what you know now, then imagine how well things can go when you’ve continued to learn and improve yourself. Try visualizing where you’ll be in the future based on the positive things you’ve discovered about yourself. You can then take those things that you’ve discovered and use them to create an action plan to help you manage your stress before your stress manages you.
I See The Future And It’s Positive!
Now that you’re more consciously aware of your qualities, take some time to think about how they might be able to help you in the future. Are you a fast learner? Do you solve problems quickly? Think about those things that might be difficult for others, but for you are a breeze. Having those accomplishments top of mind makes it easier for you to see yourself making other accomplishments in the future. As you go through life, meet the objections of your inner critic with confident self-talk. Tell that part of your mind to be quiet. Don’t let fear stop you. One of my favorite quotes is “feel the fear and do it anyway.” Because it’s not that people who do great things don’t feel fear. They do. The difference is that they don’t let it stop them from doing those great things. Oftentimes we get stuck and negative self-talk digs us in deeper, while positive self-talk helps us see things more clearly.
"Feel the fear and do it anyway. "
Another great exercise you can do is to make a vision board. It helps to have visual representations of the things that you want to attain at some point. A new career, home, or vacation can be long-term goals that you work towards. Just be sure to write down that you know you can get to those things somewhere along the way.
Positive Selftalk Helps Reduce Stress
Positive self-talk is also really important because it helps you to keep your stress under control. Stress can be paralyzing, but it doesn’t have to be. A little advanced planning can help you feel less overwhelmed. When you start to feel overwhelmed, write out your goals (make sure to have some on your list that are easier to achieve), and then crush those goals!
Getting a few little things done and crossed off of your list can do wonders for how you feel about yourself. Just know that you have to take it all one day at a time. Cross 2 - 3 things of your list and return to some of your bigger goals. You’ll find yourself more able to tackle bigger goals. Make sure to keep talking positively to yourself the whole time so that your confidence increases as your stress decreases.
Maintain Control Over Your Emotions With Positive Selftalk
It’s important to remember that things won’t always be perfect. There can be all kinds of little snags that can push back your timeline for completing things. And you may find yourself slipping back into your old negative self-talk habits. It’s important not to let yourself spin out of control emotionally. Use positive self-talk to remind yourself of how resilient you are. Find inspiration in the progress that you’ve made to date. The more practice you have controlling your emotions, the more success you’ll have. Just be sure to remain patient, kind and loving to yourself, and you will get there – it’s all about making time.
In what way will talking positively to yourself help improve the way you view yourself? Let me know in the comments section.
Smiley face photo by Devin Avery on Unsplash