Self-Talk

Lately our focus has been on self-talk which is very much a part of building healthy habits especially in our youth population. Self-talk is talking to yourself either out loud or quietly inside your head, it’s the message that you send to yourself about yourself. It’s not what other people say, but what we say to ourselves. We hear it all the time and it sounds cliché but have you ever taken the time to think about how many times you talk yourself out of something, talk down to yourself, or don’t believe you are able or capable to accomplish something?

That little voice in your head is quite powerful and can give you the strength to move mountains or will have you traveling the long road to get around it. I recently did my own self-assessment, I purchased a hand counter and for a few hours tried to keep tally of how many times I spoke negatively or talked myself out of something. It is something we all do and much like building any habit focusing on positive self talk takes a conscious effort and practice as in any other area where we want to see improvement.

Here’s what I want you to do, take your own self assessment. How many times a day do you use negative words cant, wont, etc. or how many times do you talk yourself out of something? Then let’s start putting positive self talk into action, here are five simple steps to get you started:

1. Who you hang around matters!
   Sure we all have our moments… we are allowed and we should have someone to talk to, pray with, or tell you to snap out of it. But if you find yourself always being that person and constantly surrounded by the Debby downers, Negative Nancy’s, and Hater Harold’s you will tire yourself out trying to motivate them and fight off that contagious energy for yourself. No you don’t have to let your friends go, just be mindful that when the conversations start getting negative to cut it short.
   
2. Gratitude
   A great way to increase positive self talk is to be thankful. Being thankful for family, friends, and things big or small changes your outlook and increases your happiness and motivation. Gratitude isn’t just a feeling it is an action word. What are you thankful for write it down! You will find the more you are thankful, the more things you will find to be grateful for.
   
3. Make a Choice!
   We chose the words we use like I can’t, I won’t, I hate, etc… Challenge yourself by making an effort to turn words out of your mouth into positive ones. Turn I can’t or I wont into I will and I can try. The words we use can change our attitudes or the way we feel about things and that gets your motivation on fire. Most importantly affirm yourself! Try this exercise for one minute try to say as many affirmations as possible start with I AM…
   
4. Take a Time Out!
   Trust me if you turn off your phone, computer, and TV I can almost guarantee when you are ready it will turn back on. You won’t miss a thing. Comparison is the thief if joy. Sometimes we need to take a break from technology and social media which may cloud our mind with images of what people feel we should be doing, wearing, or look like. Take a mental break and go outside and enjoy the sun or rain, take deep breaths, meditate/pray, enjoy the space you are in.
   
5. Get Active!
   Your body and mind are very closely related! How you think is therefore a reflection of how you feel. If you find it hard to cultivate positive thoughts try being more physically active. Exercise improves your mental health by reducing anxiety, depression, negative moods and improving cognitive functions and self-esteem (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov). So what are you waiting for?