Do you often find yourself struggling to get through each day? If motivation is challenging for you to build and maintain, you can use positive self-talk as a tool that can help you on your journey towards personal growth.
Every accomplishment is gained by taking small steps towards the direction of your goal, but if you don’t believe in yourself, those steps can be incredibly difficult to make. Negative self-talk will keep you stuck in limiting beliefs; you may take much longer to get where you want to go or to become you who want to be.
None of us want to move through life feeling miserable, but so many of us are stuck in a negative mindset without even realizing it. However, by incorporating a more encouraging attitude, you will be able to access the benefits of positive thinking that will lead to greater empowerment.
What Is Negative Self-Talk?
Negative self-talk is a narrative that we engage in, that keeps us from feeling excited or enthusiastic about our lives. It can manifest in the form of self-criticism, or it can be directed outward, through the projection of harsh judgments.
“Negative self-talk is an inner dialogue you have with yourself that may be limiting your ability to believe in yourself and your own abilities and to reach your potential.” – Elizabeth Scott, MS, in verywellmind.com
Some examples of negative self-talk are:
- Discouraging words that keep you from reaching your potential
- Name-calling and abusive forms of self-talk
- Predicting a negative outcome based on (usually) irrational fears
- Low or inadequate evaluations of one’s performance or skills
In addition to hindering your personal and professional development, negative self-talk can carry grave consequences. Self-deprecating thoughts and a negative, internal dialogue can lead to severe issues such as depression, a distorted sense of reality, insecurity, and increased anxiety, all of which will also impact the quality of your relationships.
To switch your mentality over to a more positive state, you will need to be more self-aware as to how you reprimand yourself. Recognizing what negative self-talk is and being able to catch your inner critic is an excellent start in reprogramming your cognitive processing.
- Deep Relaxation Kanwal Jehan 10:50
The Importance and Benefits of Positive Self-Talk
For some odd reason, we often default to negativity and harsh criticisms of ourselves as a normalcy. While positive self-talk may not come automatically, there are a multitude of benefits associated with having an affirmative outlook.
Once you understand the importance and benefits of positive self-talk, you may then be encouraged to embrace a change in your attitude. When the power of positivity overtakes your life, you will wonder why you didn’t make this change in the first place!
Positive self-talk is like shining a ray of light inside your consciousness. It will illuminate the path that you are on so that you can see your potential and success as something you truly deserve.
“Research suggests people with positive self-talk may have mental skills that allow them to solve problems, think differently, and be more efficient at coping with hardships or challenges.” – Healthline
Some of the benefits of positive self-talk can include:
- An increase in both mental and physical endurance
- A stronger immune system
- Improvement in cardiovascular health
- Better problem-solving skills
- Developing healthier coping skills
Particularly during times of stress, becoming your own cheerleader can be a healthy way to cope and can lead to more productivity. Instead of beating yourself up, give yourself a boost of energy and empowerment by speaking to yourself like you would a friend or a loved one.
Influences That Inspire Positive Self-Talk
Addressing yourself more positively seems like a no-brainer, but it can be easier said than done. Destructive habits such as negative self-talk can be hard to break, especially if you are consumed by your emotions.
We invite you to refer to a list of positive-self talk techniques below. Whenever you catch yourself deferring back to your old habits, you can use alternative methods that can help you to change your inner dialogue.
- Cultivate a profound sense of purpose. Having a meaningful purpose beyond your ego can help you to push through difficult times.
- Remove negative people and conditions from your life. Outside forces can have a substantial impact on your perception. Keep your inner circle supportive and loving.
- Practice gratitude. Expressing thanks for inspirational factors of your life can help to enlighten your path.
- Develop your sense of humor. Finding something that makes you smile can help to break the tension and ease stress. It’s hard to keep a negative outlook while you are laughing out loud.
Read more: Insight Timer teacher Justin Michael Williams shares four toxic and self-sabotaging behavior patterns and how to overcome them.
Positive self-talk cannot flourish unless it has an optimum environment with which to bloom. Cultivating a deeper sense of meaning, focusing on gratitude, and using humor regularly in your life will help you to develop a brighter foundation.
Examples of positive self-talk can include encouraging yourself to go after your dreams, forgiving yourself if you don’t meet a goal, affirming your value, and expressing thanks for the aspects of your life that bring you joy.
Start small; you can begin every day with an empowering message to yourself. Whenever you find yourself sinking down towards a negative mindset, you can pull yourself back up, using the tools of affirming thoughts and inner dialogue.
Moving through life can be demanding with all of its unexpected twists and turns. Every day, we are met with new challenges, surprises and sometimes, difficulties.
The journey towards enlightenment is not always smooth; as humans, we rely on the encouragement of our loved ones and our friends to help guide us through. That said, it is equally as crucial that we develop our own sense of support and create a strong base of positivity.
Whenever you are worried about what the future may hold or concerned that your efforts will not amount to your expectations, you can give yourself an uplifting pep talk. We encourage you to incorporate positive self-talk into your daily routine; you are valuable and deserve abundance from the Universe.
