A 5-Step Method for Addressing Negative Self-Talk. Source: Vystekimages/Shutterstock Whether you tell yourself, "I'm never going to be promoted," or you constantly fret, "People think I'm weird," negative self-talk affects how you feel and how you behave.
In fact, the conversations you have with yourself often turn into a self-fulfilling prophecy. For example, imagine someone who thinks, "I'm socially awkward, and no one wants to talk to me. " To cope with his awkwardness, he avoids striking up conversations with people and limits his interactions. Consequently, people think he is socially awkward, and his belief about himself is confirmed. article continues after advertisement Over the years, I've worked with countless people in my therapy office on changing their negative dialogue.
So whether you call yourself names, or you always talk yourself out of trying something new, here's how to deal with negative thoughts in a healthy way: 1. Many of your thoughts are automatic. 2. Just because you think something doesn't make it true. 3. 4. The Self-Talk Struggle Is Real: How To Win At Work With Sports Psychology.
In the 1998 NBA Finals, down by one point and with only 18 seconds left in the game, Michael Jordan tore the ball away from the opponent and made the winning shot of his last game with the Chicago Bulls.
That pivotal moment would go down as one of the greatest in sports history, but the remarkable thing, besides the observable aspect, is what was going on behind the scenes—more specifically, inside Jordan’s mind. “When I got that rebound, my thoughts were very positive,” Jordan reported later, according to the book The Mindful Athlete by George Mumford, his sports psychologist at the time. Years before that championship game, Jordan and his entire team had been working with Mumford on mastering mindfulness, including harnessing the power of self-talk.
Self-talk is anything you say to yourself, whether in your head or out loud. It can consist of positive statements, such as “I can do this” or “I’m going to win,” or negative ones, such as “I always mess up” or “I’m going to fail.” 1. 2. What is Positive Self-Talk? (Incl. Examples) It’s not uncommon for most of us to keep a running dialogue inside our heads.
This dialogue can range from giving ourselves instructions while we carry out a task, random observations about our environment or a situation, or it could be what is often referred to as self-talk. Self-talk is the internal narrative you hold about yourself. It’s your inner voice and you may or may not have spent much time thinking about it or giving it any attention.
The truth is, our self-talk can actually have a much bigger influence on the way we see ourselves, and the world around us than we realize. A Look at the Psychology Self-talk is generally thought to be a mix of conscious and unconscious beliefs and biases that we hold about ourselves and the world generally. Self-talk can be positive or negative – and paying attention to which you most often sway towards, can help you start making proactive changes about how you take on life’s challenges. Negative Thoughts. Anxiety. Self-Compassion. A Meditation on Your Self-Critical Voice. How to Change That Negative Voice in Your Head. Source: tommaso79/Shutterstock Whether you tell yourself, "I'm never going to be promoted," or you constantly think, "People think I'm weird," negative self-talk affects how you feel and how you behave.
In fact, the conversations you have with yourself often turn into a self-fulfilling prophecy. For example, imagine someone who thinks, "I'm socially awkward, and no one wants to talk to me. " To cope with his awkwardness, he avoids striking up conversations with people and limits his interactions. Consequently, people think he is socially awkward, and his belief about himself is confirmed. article continues after advertisement Over the years, I've worked with countless people in my therapy office on changing their negative dialogue. So whether you call yourself names or you always talk yourself out of trying something new, here's how to deal with negative thoughts in a healthy way: 1. Many of your thoughts are automatic. 2. Just because you think something doesn't make it true. 3. 4. 5.