Stopping negative self-talk is something that can profoundly improve your mental health and overall well-being. But, of course, it’s easier said than done. If your mind is constructed in a way that makes self-talk feel natural, it often becomes something that gets the better of you.
Fortunately, there are many ways to fight back. Once you have the right strategies under your belt, you’re in a much better position to get back to being “the old you.”
So, what should you do?
Here are Some Effective Ways to Overcome Negative Self-Talk:
1. Catch It In The Act
First, you’ll want to focus on catching it in the act. Very few people with self-talk circle around and monitor themselves doing it. However, once you start implementing these practices, you get better and shine a light on the rumination while noticing when it happens.
This technique is often something top-rated drug rehab professionals use to help people deal with addictions (and the fallout that emanates from them). People get stuck on substances, often because of the invisible conversations they have with themselves.
2. Challenge The Thought
A related tactic is to challenge the negative self-talk as it emerges. Instead of allowing it to pass through undisturbed, you actively criticize it and tell it that it isn’t true.
Taking this rational, scientific approach gives you more confidence to challenge negative self-talk in the future. It allows you to be more realistic about the challenges you face and what you can do about it.
For example, if you have negative self-talk telling you that you aren’t good enough, you can ask whether that is really true. The more you get into the habit of taking on the inner critic, the more you can silence it.
Simply asking whether you are being overly harsh on yourself is often enough to get the ball rolling.
3. Name The Critic
An even more advanced technique is to name the inner critical afflicting you. Sometimes, it’s not coming from your personality, but the words and thoughts of someone else.
The key here is to identify who it is and then separate it from your personality and who you are. You don’t want a nasty voice dominating your inner life, constantly putting you down when all that’s unnecessary.
4. Use Affirmations
Another approach is to use affirmations. These tactics attempt to change the conversations your inner critic has with you. Sometimes it wants to be aggressive and unkind, but if you steer the chatter in your favor with affirmations, you can sometimes reprogram it to be better.
5. Be Mindful
You can also try various ways of being mindful. These help to calm you down overall and prevent the inner critic from becoming something you treat seriously.
Being mindful could be anything that helps you calm and center yourself. It might be deep breathing or meditation, or simply watching your thoughts for a while and seeing what happens.
When the negative negative self-talk voice comes up, you can give it a name. This technique helps to separate it from you and make yourself independent from it.
