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We all have an inner critic.
However, this voice can often be more harmful than helpful, particularly when it gets intoexcessive negativity.
This negative self-talk can really bring us down.
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What Is Negative Self-Talk?
Negative self-talk can take many forms.
I guess I’m not good at math.
The musings of your inner critic may sound a lot like a critical parent or friend from your past.
It can follow the path of typicalcognitive distortions:catastrophizing, blaming, and the like.
Are You a Pessimist?
Consequences of Negative Self-Talk
Negative self-talk can affect us in some pretty damaging ways.
Increased Stress
Those who frequently engage in negative self-talk tend to be more stressed.
Reduced Success
One of the most obvious drawbacks of negative self-talk is that it’s not positive.
This sounds simplistic, but research has shown thatpositive self-talkis a great predictor of success.
Catch Your Critic
Learn to notice when you’re being self-critical so you might begin to stop.
Your thoughts can be skewed like everyone else’s, subject to biases and the influence of your moods.
She would find the negative in any situation.
This puts a limit on how much negativity can come from the situation.
Change Negativity to Neutrality
You may be able to catch yourself when engaging in negative self-talk.
However, it can sometimes be difficult to force yourself to stop a train of thought in its tracks.
It’s often far easier to change the intensity of your language.
“I can’t stand this” becomes, “This is challenging.”
It’s far better to catch your negative self-talk and ask yourself how true it is.
Often we’ll say things to ourselves in our heads that we’d never say to a friend.
This is a great way to shift your self-talk in general.
This can often minimize the negativity, fear, and urgency in negative self-talk.
Other times, it can at least bringsupport.
Even saying some negative self-talk phrases around under your breath can remind you how unreasonable and unrealistic they sound.
This will remind you to give yourself a break.
Stop That Thought
For some, simply stopping negative thoughts in their tracks can be helpful.
Take a negative thought and change it to something encouraging that’s also accurate.
Repeat until you find yourself needing to do it less and less often.
This works well with most bad habits: replacing unhealthy food with healthy food, for example.
It’s a great way to develop a more positive way of thinking about yourself and about life.
What This Means For You
Negative self-talk can be devastating for your mental well-being.
Fortunately, you’re able to take steps to change negative thoughts into more realistic or positive ones.
If you still struggle to keep those negative thoughts under control, consider talking to a mental health professional.
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