Eliminating Negative Self Talk Can Give You Freedom
For some of us, it may seem easier to disregard a complement or make a joke about it
, rather than just saying "thank you." You may even get to the point where you make excuses for participating in activities or going somewhere because you have negative self-talk talking yourself out of it. "I look like a stuffed sausage in spandex," may be something you tell yourself to keep from having to go to the gym. Or "She's way too pretty to ever date me," may be something you've concocted in your head so that you don't have to ask anyone out for fear of the dreaded rejection.
It might seem humble or funny, but what it is really doing is setting yourself up for failure. These are all examples of "negative self-talk." A person who engages in negative self-talk will find themselves, intentionally or not, tearing themselves down throughout the day instead of building themselves up. Life is tough enough, so why add to the madness? Luckily, there are ways to combat this and start walking the road that leads to positive thinking and more positive outcomes.
Like any path to self discovery, the first step involves understanding the problem. Analyze what you say and why. Is it negative self-talk? Are the words you use to describe yourself more negative than positive? If they are, remember when, why, and how you said them. It might be a good idea to jot them down. Be particularly cognizant of times where you legitimately make yourself feel bad - this is the most obvious sign that negative self-talk is causing harm.
Once you examine your behavior, take the steps necessary to stop negative self-talk in it's tracks. First you will need an attitude adjustment; stop being negative and work on becoming more positive. When you find yourself engaging in negative speech, stop and think of a more positive way to approach the situation. Refuse to hang out with gossips, naysayers and Negative Nancy's. If you feel yourself becoming negative, start making a list of positives for the situation. For instance, if you hate your hair, think twice and be grateful that you are one of the lucky ones that still has hair! Soon you will discover that you are a worthy person and you will stop damaging your self-esteem.
Often we blame ourselves for problems that seem out of our control. If you are blaming yourself for these situations, stop and begin thinking about solutions for these problems instead. No matter what the situation is, take a step back and figure out why the situation didn't work out as you expected it to. For example, if you lost a lot of money at the poker table, that doesn't mean you'll never be good at the game of poker. Maybe you just need to review a "Poker For Dummies" book to freshen up your skills and learn a little more. The idea is to give yourself a legitimate shot at things, before you give up and say you're no good.
Some of our negative self-talk may have been going on for years and it is not something that we can permanently change overnight. Altering the way you talk to yourself may take a little time and focused effort, but don't get discouraged. Within time, you will see notable changes and others may see and comment on the difference in you as well, which will only fuel the fire to continue. After you make these changes you will begin to feel good about yourself and that will begin to show in your personality and in other areas of you life.
Here are 3 basic steps to end negative self-talk today:
1. Identify Negative Self-Talk
2. Replace your negative talk with more positive, empowering words
3. Practice patience, as this process takes time and effort.
Negative self-talk can be very damaging to a positive mind set. When you feel like the weight of the world is on your shoulders and you begin to feel the negativity welling up inside, stop and examine your thoughts and actions. Use the tips above to gradually make positive changes. Once these changes are in place, you will notice a more positive you emerging. Stop negative self-talk and change your life now.
by: Brandon Boshnack.
A Beginners Guide To Owning A Caravan Camping Tips for Camping in the Rain Do-it-yourself Wedding Invitations: A Straightforward Guide Double Edged Fat Loss Members Area-Teach you how to loss fat but not to hurt yourself Familiarizing Yourself with the Parts of an Antivirus Program - The Antivirus Tab Could These Effective Organisation Guidelines Help To Focus Your Improvement Project? Why Self Storage Is Recession-proof Tip's for Beginners in Photography Self Employed Unsecured Loans-get Finance Whenever You Need Motivate Yourself To Quit Smoking Through Hypnotherapy Give Your Self Esteem A High With Goddess Playshops Ski techniques for Beginners Neuro Linguistic Programming ( NLP ) for Self Improvement PERCEPTUAL POSITIONS