Self Talk

Stop talking to yourself that way

Believe it or not the way you talk to yourself has a huge impact on your future. 

Self-talk can be good or bad. It can push you forward or hold you back. It may seem like mumbo jumbo but its true. I bet you can even identify someone you know that is constantly talking negatively about themselves. 

“I am such an idiot”

 Or

“I can learn anything” 

Those are 2 perfect examples of positive vs. negative self-talk. It’s obvious as to which one will work in your favor but even as trivial as calling yourself an idiot sounds it can have profound negative effects over time. 

Don’t just take my word for it. Below is from verywellmind.com and what the research shows.

“Negative self-talk can affect us in some pretty damaging ways. One large-scale study found that rumination and self-blame over negative events were linked to an increased risk of mental health problems.^”

“Those who find themselves frequently engaging in negative self-talk tend to be more stressed. This is in large part due to the fact that their reality is altered to create an experience where they don’t have the ability to reach the goals, they’ve set for themselves.”

“One of the most obvious drawbacks of negative self-talk is that it’s not positive. This sounds simplistic, but research has shown that positive self-talk is a great predictor of success.”

There is a reason many of the professional development gurus suggest using affirmations in the positive form, science backs up that it works.

This works for fat loss. I have seen this in action too many times. If you see yourself as chubby, fat, or big boned and tell yourself this over and over if you decide to lose weight the deck is already stacked against you.

“I love food” is one of my favorite excuses I hear when someone wants to lose weight but is afraid of eating healthy. No shit you love food, who doesn’t? Guess what, you would eventually die without it. You can’t let your mind automatically go to the negative when thinking about making a change. You have to look at the outcome you want. Will you have to give up that bottle of wine every night? Yes, but rather than focusing on what you have to give up what about focusing on what you gain?

Successful people focus on the outcome they are looking for, not what they have to change to get there. We have become a society that thinks we deserve it all with no effort. It doesn’t work that way and never will. 

The way you talk to yourself has an impact on your actions whether you like it or not. Try and catch yourself when you talk negatively about yourself and replace it with something positive. This doesn’t have to be anything over the top, it can be as simple as saying “I can do this” as opposed to “I can’t”. Yes, it can be that simple.

Language is powerful, use it to your advantage.