5 Compelling Reasons To Embrace The Idea Of Self-Talk (The Positive Kind)

It’s never too late to start

Negative self-talk seems to be wired into most of us, making it an easy go-to when we need it the least.

Its impact can be underrated, but it’s not a harmless action by any means.

Evidence is conclusive that your self-talk has a direct bearing on your performance.

Zig Ziglar

If you really want to make serious changes in all areas of your life, consider that the root of that change is the conversation that is going on right between your ears. What you tell yourself is at the wheel for everything that happens next.

Positive self-talk has subtle benefits that can make a huge impact. It’s about communicating favorably to yourself, even when you don’t believe it.

Life’s battles don’t always go to the stronger or faster man. But sooner or later, the man who wins is the man who thinks he can.

Vince Lombardi

Encouragement

Positive self-talk can encourage while negative talk is discouraging.

Self-talk can provide encouragement, uplift, and give inspiration that can boost the confidence needed to accomplish a goal.

It can bring light to an otherwise dark situation regardless of how bad it is.

Self-talk tip:

Stop using ‘I’: Self-distancing, or referring to yourself in the second person, as if you were talking to someone else, has been shown to promote speaking more sympathetically and in a more encouraging way to yourself.

Think, instead of “I can do this” saying “you’ve got this” as you would to someone you care about and are trying to encourage.

Studies have shown that when people referred to themselves in the second-person or using their own name, they were able to improve their ability to detach emotionally from the situation.

Perseverance

Positive self-talk can give just the push you need to keep going when every fiber of your being is telling you to stop. It’s a powerful tool to help get you through tough situations and the seemingly impossible.

Self-talk tip

Focus on the things you CAN do: Maybe you can’t visualize carrying on because a goal may be too insurmountable. In this case, focus on the things that you can accomplish and take small steps to get there.

For example, if you want to start a new online business and feel as though you don’t know where to start, instead of thinking, “There’s way too much to learn about this and I don’t have time to figure it all out”, think “I can start by researching people who are succeeding in what I want to do and then break out small action steps.”

Focus

Positive self-talk can help get you focused on what is important at this moment. Affirming what you want to do right now will help keep your thoughts on point and help avoid ruminating on the negative.

The negative things you say to yourself can distract you and keep you thinking about everything that can go wrong, leading you down a rabbit hole of debilitating and scattered thoughts.

Self-talk tip

Avoid comparison: It’s tempting to look at what everyone else is doing and lose focus on what you really want. Once you get sucked into that, you’ve knocked yourself right off track.

Focus on YOU. You have your own goals and things you want to accomplish and they are unique to your life.

Stress

Positive self-talk can help in times of high stress. When you opt to look at the bright side of things or find the positive, you can refocus your brain on the things that are good.

It will help you relax and stay calm.

Self-talk tip

Tune into your own emotions: It’s not always as easy as changing up a few words and beginning to use self-affirmations. Learn to identify if your inner voice is what is directing your mood at any given moment.

By learning to recognize stress or a tense mood, you can trace those feelings back to a familiar pattern of negative self-talk or negative thought loops.

A looping thought is a coping mechanism. It is a subconscious tool to help a distressed individual escape from the present moment. While it does not seem plausible that anyone would want to have a looping thought, the practice provides some secondary gains. It is used as a way to distract ourselves from something we don’t want to confront.

You can help this by having a journal for your feelings and writing down when you’re feeling stressed or anxious. Then work backward to identify the source but also what has worked to help you cope with those feelings.

Confidence and Resilience

Positive self-talk can help boost self-confidence and help you become more optimistic. With higher self-esteem and confidence, you’ll tend to be more likely to achieve your goals because you have planted the seeds of belief in your abilities.

Consistent positive talk can instill a strong belief that things will work out as well as condition you to find appropriate workarounds. Then the more you accomplish, the more confident and resilient you become.

Research suggests people that have a habit of positive self-talk may have mental skills that allow them to solve problem and be more efficient at coping with hardships or challenges.

Ok, How Do You Stop A Habit Of Negative Thinking?

Here are some examples of how to moderate your negative thoughts into positive ones. (Image by Mayo Clinic)

Positive self-talk isn’t an act of self-deception, though it might seem that way. It’s about objectively recognizing the truth at the moment, and accepting that life will have challenges and you will make mistakes.

It’s a soothing and calming process that allows you to identify and obscure negative thoughts and turn them into hopeful, manageable, and hopeful ones.

Loving or hating the life you are living is solely all in your repeated self-talk.— Edward Mbiaka

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