By Darine Ammache, Clinical Psychologist
Self-talk is your internal dialogue. Much of your self-talk depends on your personality. If you’re an optimist, your self-talk may be more hopeful and positive. The opposite is generally true if you tend to be a pessimist.
Positive self-talk is an important aspect of mental well-being, as it can influence our thoughts, beliefs, and actions. On the other hand, negative self-talk can be a result of past experiences, particularly if a person had critical or punitive parents. This can lead to a defense mechanism where the person becomes harsh on themselves before giving anyone else the chance to do so. This is one of the reasons why negative self-talk exists, and might over time, become a habit.
However, this can be changed. Forming a new habit takes time and effort, which with persistence can help you shift your thoughts. Positive self-talk can become your norm.
The following are some tips that can help:
- Identify negative self-talk.
- Check in with your feelings (evaluate your self-talk).
- Find the humor (find ways to laugh).
- Surround yourself with positive people.
- Give yourself positive affirmations (post small reminders in your office or where you spend most of your time).
There are numerous routes we can take to get where we want to go. Finding the appropriate path typically involves some trial and error, and it might vary greatly from one person to another. According to studies, we are responsible for controlling 40% of our happiness, with the remaining 60% attributable to our genes and 10% to our environment. Regardless of the difficulties, we may motivate ourselves to pursue pleasure and success by using positive self-talk. A habit of doing that, can result in a happier and more satisfying existence.
By Darine Ammache
Self-talk is your internal dialogue. Much of your self-talk depends on your personality. If you’re an optimist, your self-talk may be more hopeful and positive. The opposite is generally true if you tend to be a pessimist.
Positive self-talk is an important aspect of mental well-being, as it can influence our thoughts, beliefs, and actions. On the other hand, negative self-talk can be a result of past experiences, particularly if a person had critical or punitive parents. This can lead to a defense mechanism where the person becomes harsh on themselves before giving anyone else the chance to do so. This is one of the reasons why negative self-talk exists, and might over time, become a habit.
However, this can be changed. Forming a new habit takes time and effort, which with persistence can help you shift your thoughts. Positive self-talk can become your norm.
The following are some tips that can help:
- Identify negative self-talk.
- Check in with your feelings (evaluate your self-talk).
- Find the humor (find ways to laugh).
- Surround yourself with positive people.
- Give yourself positive affirmations (post small reminders in your office or where you spend most of your time).
There are numerous routes we can take to get where we want to go. Finding the appropriate path typically involves some trial and error, and it might vary greatly from one person to another. According to studies, we are responsible for controlling 40% of our happiness, with the remaining 60% attributable to our genes and 10% to our environment. Regardless of the difficulties, we may motivate ourselves to pursue pleasure and success by using positive self-talk. A habit of doing that, can result in a happier and more satisfying existence.