Last Thursday we were treated to Kristina’s fascinating presentation entitled “ Talking to Me, Myself, and I. “ 

Kristina began by sharing with us some of her thoughts on self-talk, or also known as our inner dialogue. She shared usually on any given day we may feel these nagging voices telling us what we are doing wrong, and tearing us down. 

She also shared with us a definition of self-talk. Self-talk is  the conversations that happen within our minds during all waking hours of the day. 

There are also two different forms of internal dialogue, positive and negative.

Each of these have very different effects on our moods. When you learn to practice positive self-talk, you can feel a sense of joy, and have excitement for life. However if you allow your negative self-talk to take over, it may lead you down a path of depression and fear. Negative self-talk can be toxic, and it may cloud your mind with a low sense of value. 

Some of the side effects of negative talk may be depression, anxiety, and low self-confidence. In addition, Catastrophizing, personalizing, or making external events all about you can be symptoms related to negative self-talk. 

Many believe that having the right skills you can practice to encourage positive self-talk may actually help you to practice positive self-talk more often. 

Sometimes just subtle shifts in your inner dialogue can have positive effects.

Kristina did share with us some positive self-talk techniques. If you ever feel yourself getting caught up in negative self-talk, try some of the following options;

1) develop a profound sense of purpose…having a meaningful sense of purpose can help you get through difficult times.

2) Try and remove negative people and situations from your life…learn to keep your inner circle supportive and loving 

3) Practice Gratitude…learning to express thanks for the good things you have in your life can help.

4) Learn to develop your sense of humor…..find something that will make you smile. It’s heard to be in a negative frame of mind when you are laughing out loud.

Also, listen to what you’re saying to yourself. Challenge your own self-talk if you feel it’s it’s getting a little too negative. Is there any evidence for what you may be thinking? Ask yourself the question, can I do anything to change the way I am thinking?  Try making a note in a journal or even on your phone on what you are thinking.  Try and change your self-talk. Make a list of the positive things about yourself. 

Or you can start small. Start every day with stating just a few positive words, which will send a positive message to yourself. 

It just may turn your day into a positive one all day long!