How To Deal With Negative Self-Talk

Negative self-talk has become the rule in our society and is a bad habit practiced by far too many people.

This habit can hold you back from reaching your goals before you even get started. Fortunately, you can identify and overcome negative self-talk.

Once you're able to move past your own limiting thoughts, there'll be nothing holding you back from doing incredible things.

Negative self-talk?is a mental habit in which we react to outside circumstances and events by internalizing them and blaming ourselves.

Examples of negative self-talk include:

All or nothing:?“If this date isn’t successful, I’ll be single forever.”

Overgeneralizing:?“I’ve been bad at every single job I’ve had.”

Personalizing:?“It’s all my fault.”

Mind reading:?“All my friends/co-workers/family think I’m stupid.”

Jumping to conclusions:?“My boss doesn’t look happy. She must be about to fire me.”

Catastrophizing:?“This is going to be a terrible day.”

Disqualifying the positive:?“They have to say nice things about me because they are my friends, but they don’t mean them.”

Should/must/ought to:?“I should be a better son/daughter.” “I must start exercising.” “I ought to have a better job.”

Sometimes the only person holding you back is you. As Brian Tracy said:? “There are no limits on what you can achieve with your life, except the limits you accept in your own mind.”

You may notice that some of these examples fit into several categories. Next time you have a negative thought, see which unhelpful thinking patterns you can spot.

Deprived of attention, your hamster will no longer be able to monopolize your thoughts. Basically, it's like physical training: the more you practice it, the more results you get.

But never let your guard down because your hamster will restart its race as soon as it has the opportunity.

*Concentrate on your breathing

Become aware of the path of the air that passes through your nostrils, swells your abdomen, rises, and then leaves your nostrils. While you are paying attention to your breathing, you are muzzling your hamster.

You can perform this exercise anywhere, anytime, and as often as you feel the need to. Also, try other relaxation and meditation activities.

*Set yourself free

Racing negative self-talk will always dramatize things or predict the worst. Use empowering and positive self-talk.

Suppose at a restaurant you sprinkle a colored drink on your white shirt just before an important meeting. You panic: "What will they think? I'm sure I'll lose the deal!"

Say this instead: "This is just a garment. I'll talk about what happened and we'll pass over it. They will understand. Fortunately, my file is concrete. I'm a WINNER."

So you instantly de-dramatize the situation, your thoughts are no longer threatening.

Make a serious and conscious effort to push these thoughts out of your mind.

Be vigilant! Guard your mind! Negative self-talk can only slow you down and get in your way. Worrying is negative goal-setting and serves no purpose.

Be Your Own Best Advocate!!!

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