We mentally talk to ourselves all the time. We give ourselves more feedback than anyone else ever could. Self-talk can be negative or positive, and it can affect all parts of life, such as health, finances, and relationships.
Negative self-talk is discouraging. Some examples of negative self-talk:
Positive self-talk is encouraging. This kind of self-talk helps us achieve our goals. Some examples of positive self-talk:
Self-talk is very powerful. It sends the same chemical messages to your brain as actual experiences do. Your body believes your self-talk. When you say to yourself "I am no good at meeting new people--I always freeze up and look stupid", your heart beats faster, you breathe more shallowly, your stomach tightens, and adrenalin clouds your thinking. This negative self-talk creates stress in your body and your mind.
Studies show that being positive and optimistic can affect how well you live and even how long you live. The health benefits of positive self-talk may include:
We can talk ourselves into or out of many things. You may not be aware of the things you say to yourself. The first step is to notice the things that you say to yourself. To change your self-talk from negative to positive: