Transform your Inner Dialogue
Nov 16, 2023
One of the things I’ve noticed about people with high-functioning anxiety is a tendency to have a LOT of negative self-talk going on.
First of all, if you don’t know what negative self-talk is, let me explain.
We all have a nearly constant chatter going on in our minds. We are thinking thoughts all of the time. If you don’t believe me, try NOT thinking thoughts. WOW! Good luck with that.
Sometimes that chatter is not so nice. We call that negative self-talk. Here are some examples:
You always mess things up.
Ugh! You just embarrassed yourself again!
WHY did you say THAT? So stupid!
No matter how hard you try, you’ll never succeed.
Negative self-talk can be a contributor to anxiety. Can you imagine calling yourself stupid all of the time and then feeling confident while taking a test or going for an interview? It just doesn’t work that way.
Most of the time, we don’t even notice that we are having these thoughts. They have become such a normal part of our lives that we don’t even question them.
Thoughts that we think over and over, become beliefs.
Beliefs direct our behaviors.
Our behaviors become habits.
Our habits shape our lives.
There’s a lot of power in the words that you say to yourself. So, it’s important to have a positive approach to your daily thoughts.
Here are 3 steps you can take to overcome negative self-talk.
#1: Notice when you have a negative thought. Remember, most of our thoughts are running in the background of our minds and go completely unnoticed.
#2: Question the thought. Is it REALLY true that you ALWAYS mess things up? EVERY SINGLE TIME? Can you think of just ONE time that you didn’t mess up? I bet you can.
#3: Change the thought. How about, I make mistakes like every other human. But I do some things right too. I forgive my mistakes and I can try again.
If you have a hard time thinking of a better thought, try this. Imagine what you would say to your best friend if she were to say out loud, “I ALWAYS mess up everything!” (or any other negative comment). You wouldn’t allow it, would you? It would be easy for you to object to her negative comment. Use that to get you started.
You deserve the joy and peace you desire! I’m cheering you on!
Much Love,
Stacey
PS- There is still time to schedule a free consultation! Click the button below if you’d like to chat one-on-one with me