Simple Steps to Turn Negative Self-Talk Into Positive Self-Talk

“I am such a loser.”

“No one will ever love me.”

“I am useless.”

Sound familiar?

Self-talk is your internal dialogue, which is influenced by your subconscious and reveals your true thoughts and beliefs. It can be negative or positive, encouraging or harmful. Your inner voice can be helpful and keep you motivated, sure…but when it goes down the path towards excessive negativity, this can really cause issues in your personal and professional life. For most people, negative self-talk is something that just happens from time to time. No big deal. However, when negative self-talk becomes the norm, it can take a major toll on your daily life. Negative self-talk can limit your ability to believe in yourself and prevent you from reaching your full potential. It can also lead to negative behaviors, such as isolation or lack of motivation, and can even cause depression. Not only does this create significant stress for you, but it also can be stressful for those around you.

Due to the damage these negative thoughts and feelings can cause, it is important to try to keep them to a minimum. This may sound easier said than done, but it is possible to change that negative self-talk into positive self-talk with a little bit of work. There are many different ways to go about this, and different strategies work for different people, so be sure to give a few of these suggestions a chance before writing them off. Trust me when I say, I have helped countless people across the globe, teaching them how to change their inner dialogue and transform their lives. It is possible to silence that negative voice inside you…

Here are several ways to help put a stop to negative self-talk and transform it into something positive:

Recognize the Critic

In order to gain control over negative self-talk, you need to be aware of it. Your inner dialogue runs constantly, with one thought changing into the next so quickly that you may not even be aware of it. Try and make a conscious effort to slow down and recognize when your critic is present. This might be challenging at first, especially if you are in the habit of being mean to yourself. A good way to bring about greater awareness is to jot a note every time you think something negative about yourself. Mindfully acknowledge these thoughts as you write them down, as this will help prevent you from ignoring them, which is when they can really do damage.

Identify Triggers

The next step should be to identify your triggers. When you are writing down your negative thoughts, also write down what happened immediately prior to that thought popping into your head. You may be able to identify patterns or specific triggers. Social media might be something you find as a trigger. You may note that you are comparing yourself to what you see as you scroll your newsfeed. When you do identify a trigger, give it a good hard look. Are you reacting to truth or perception? Reality or fiction? From here you can reframe your reaction, distance yourself from the negative thought, and more easily see lies for what they truly are.

Name the Meanie

The source of your negative self-talk does not want you to recognize it. It wants to lurk in the shadows and convince you that it is reality and a part of who you are. We know, however, that this is not true. This negative critic is something that created over time that you haven’t questioned…and it’s also something that you can destroy. The best way to distance yourself and separate the critic from who you truly are is to give that meanie a name. Get creative, call it something silly. Assigning a name forces your negative thoughts outside of yourself, making them less threatening. It can also be entertaining, and a good stress reliever when you tell your newly-named critic that they are a liar and should go away.

The Sun Will Shine

So, you’re a pro at identifying your negative self-talk and have had numerous wins against your inner critic? Awesome! Now it’s time to make more changes and start practicing positive self-talk. When you catch yourself saying something negative, respond back by saying something positive. You might not be able to do this at first, and your response may be more neutral than positive but this is okay. The more you try, the easier it will become to reach that positive state and— who knows—one day you might catch yourself thinking positively with no prompting at all!

Silencing your inner critic and thinking positively can transform your life…and your business! Having a background in mental health counseling has given me the ability to help my clients shift their brain’s thought patterns to positivity and manifest all that they are capable of…and all that they deserve and desire. When you have a “block” or feel “stuck,” in most instances, you are the one thing standing in your own way. Through silencing the inner critic and making a move towards positive thinking (and a few other changes), you can effectively shake off the fear, self-doubt, limiting beliefs, and negative thoughts holding you back and reach your FULL potency and potential.

ARE YOU READY TO DITCH YOUR NEGATIVE THOUGHTS AND CHANGE YOUR STINKIN’ THINKIN’?

Schedule a free 30-Minute Talk with Teri and I’ll help you make that shift to positivity.