Are you talking to yourself again?
Let’s face it – we all do it.
From the helpful and motivating “I can do this!” dialogue to the destructive and harmful “I am not good enough” discourse, the voice in your head is a natural part of everyday life.
From a very young age, we humans begin to process the world around us and our relationships with other people and/or situations through the internal conversations in our mind. (Remember that imaginary friend you had when you were 7? Yep, that was your inner voice in its infant form!)
The key to success is to harness the voice in your head and make it work in your favour. Here are three simple steps you can take to do just that:
1. Turn a negative into a positive
Negativity bias is our tendency to dwell on negative thoughts / feelings / emotions longer than positive ones. For example, we typically feel the burn of rejection more powerfully (and for longer) than the pleasure of praise. The only way around this is to mindfully abandon negatives and replace them with positives.
A simple solution can be found in the smallest shift of mindset.
The next time you hear yourself say “I can’t do this”, add the word ‘yet’ to the end of the sentence. “I can’t so this, yet!” If you practice this enough, you will feel your confidence grow as realise there is possibility in the future (near or far) that you will be able to do it!
2. Recognise that what you think about comes about
Whatever you chose to think about and focus on becomes magnified in your mind. If you continually focus on negative thoughts, your outlook and actions will become negative too.
Take mindful steps to stop negative thoughts in their tracks and replace them with positive ones.
Try changing “I can’t believe I failed, I’ve let myself and everyone else down,” to “I’m proud of myself for trying, I have learnt a lot from this lesson – next time I’m going to smash it!”.
3. Be your biggest cheerleader
Being your own cheerleader means celebrating all your successes, regardless of their size. Made yourself the perfect coffee this morning? Woohoo, that’s fantastic! Sealed a deal with a million pound client at work? Woohoo, your amazing! Each and every win counts! The more you acknowledge your wins, the more positive you will feel.
Practicing positive self-talk encourages uplifting and motivational thought processes. For some, these habits may take time and effort. Positive affirmations are a great way to build up a bank of inspiring thoughts – repeat them multiple times a day to reinforce them in your mind and soon they will become engrained in your being.