4 Techniques for Changing Your Self-Talk

Feeling kind of negative and ‘down’ lately? Is your mind lagging, your pace dragging, and you‘re having a hard time getting excited about anything at all? Blah.

Are you lost in negative self-talk?

When you start to pay attention to your thoughts and what you say to yourself, you might be surprised. When tired and burned out, it’s not uncommon to fall into a dialogue that slowly grows more and more negative. And when this happens, your awareness is key to freeing you from this spiral of depression and angst.

It’s time to change your self-talk for the better.

To pick yourself up use these techniques to change your self-talk back to a more positive tone:

Create an Anchor

When things go bad, it’s good to have someplace you can go to rest, to recharge, and to regain a sense of who you are.

This is visualization; this ‘happy place’ is the anchor you create in your mind.

By creating a restful and soothing mental space and revisiting it when needed, you can stave back negativity and get yourself re-centered again.

The key? It has to be someplace comforting, where you feel secure and loved. And to create this mental space you will need as much detail as possible. Layer this mental space not just with the sights, but with the sounds, the smells, even feel the textures around you. This will become your safe ‘happy place’ when you need it. Close your eyes and take a few minutes to go there and breathe it all in. Your well-crafted ‘happy place’ is the anchor to your positive mood.

Little List of Possible Happiness

Besides going to the 'happy place' in your mind, what other things bring you joy in this life?

What are the things you love doing the most? Where do you like to go? What is your special place? What is your favorite book? What is it you like doing? What inspires happiness?

Write all this down.

Keep this list handy and try to indulge in one ‘happiness booster’ every single day. By giving yourself something which feels like a treat, you’ll find your mood and self-talk both shift to a more positive note.

Celebrate Accomplishment and Compliments

Whenever you do something you’re proud of, write the accomplishment on a slip of paper and add it to a treasure chest - a box or a jar.

If anyone has paid you a compliment, bank that. If you have fan reviews or testimonials keep them nearby.

If you start feeling negative, grab a handful of accomplishments and read them, review your testimonials, accept those compliments over and over, and notice all the things in life to be proud of and all the people who value you.

Negativity withers in the hard evidence of accomplishment.

Treat Yourself Like a Friend

Caught in negative self-talk? Look at what you just said to yourself or about yourself and pretend someone just said the very same thing to your best friend or a child.

How would you react? What would you tell them about this thought? How would you comfort them? How would you treat someone who said such a thing to someone you love? Now ask yourself why you’re allowing someone (yourself) to say that to you.

 With awareness and daily effort, these tools can become habits, and when the habit is formed it becomes easy to shift your thinking!

Positive change lies in being intentional in your thoughts.

Practice the techniques. You’ll be surprised at how quickly your attitude shifts and you start living this life well.