depression-therapyIs it strange to talk to yourself to pick yourself up? Or when you start criticizing yourself? Absolutely not! 

Your mood and emotions are based on your thoughts. If you have self-hating thoughts, you will be in a bad mood everywhere you go. If your thoughts are positive about yourself, you will have an optimistic outlook.

Self-talk is a powerful tool to use when you want to push your negative thought patterns away and be happier with yourself. If you become the master of self-talk, you will be more confident, motivated, and productive with your life. 

While some people can accomplish positive self-talk with ease, there are others who need more practice. By understanding how self-talk works, you can practice this skill every day to take on the world.

Self-Talk- What is it Good For?

Self-talk can give you a better performance in anything you do. After all, how do you think an athlete becomes a winner? Sure, training and stamina are essential in that, but positive self-talk pushes them forward in telling themselves they can win. Positive self-talk can give you:

  • A greater life satisfaction
  • Improved immune system
  • Better physical well-being
  • Less stress

When you are kind to yourself, you are able to think clearly compared to when you doubt yourself and are able to cope better with hardships. You are being your own coach who knows your own strengths.

Different Types of Self-Talk

Negative thinking comes in many forms. Once you recognize different types of negative thinking, you can shape them into positive thinking. There are four categories of negative thinking:

  • Personalizing is when you blame yourself for everything. For example, “It is my fault we did not win the big game.” Change instead to, “We may not have won the game, but I tried my best.”
  • Magnifying is when you only focus on the negatives of a situation. For example, “I failed and embarrassed myself.” Change instead to, “I had the courage to try.”
  • Catastrophizing is expecting the worst and not letting anything tell you differently. For example, “There is just no way this will work.” Change instead to, “This will work as long as we give it our all.”
  • Polarizing is when the world is looking black and white. For example, “I will be bad at this because it is my first day on the job.” Change instead to, “I am sure I will make mistakes, but I am confident I will learn from them.”

Practicing Self-Talk on a Daily Basis

If you are generally pessimistic in your thoughts, you will need to make self-talk a daily routine. Learn to let your inner dialogue be motivational and uplifting. You should first identify where the source of your negative self-talk comes from so you can anticipate when they come. When you have a bad day, check in with your feelings and see if there is anything you can do to turn it around.

If you need to find inspiration for positive self-talk, surround yourself with positive people to help evoke those emotions. What can also help you is to post positive affirmations on sticky notes on your mirrors, office, or anywhere else you spend a lot of time. Practice makes perfect, so it is important to practice positive self-talk to become a real master at it in everything you do.

If You Still Need More Help…

Self-talk is a tool you can use your whole life. If you are still having trouble developing positive self-talk on your own, speak to a trained therapist. They will help you find the sources of your negative self-talk and determine how depression treatment may help. For an improved outlook on life, positive self-talk will remind you that you are human and able to take on any challenge as long as you like yourself.