Shifting from negative to positive self talk - part 1

This is my second attempt at this post this morning. I began with a different photo and writing about a different topic and it just wasn't flowing. I've also been working on a journal article and this one is not easy going -- the writing process for the article has been more difficult than usual for me. So this morning, I was working on the first attempt at the blog post and when it wasn't working, I said to myself "I'm really having trouble writing these days." Then I thought, "this has to be the theme of this morning's post."

Here's the thing about self talk.... I suspect that almost all of us have negative self talk. We have those moments when we doubt ourselves, get frustrated or angry, worry about failure, etc. The key is to recognize these moments quickly and then redirect. When we do not recognize that the negative chatter has begun, and instead continue down that road, we are falling into a negative spiral. The goal isn't to never negative self talk, but rather to catch ourselves when we're doing it, and interrupt the process, shifting to something more productive.

I suggest that once we have recognized the negative self talk, the second step is to commit to redirect. The third step is to figure out what we need. Do I need to reframe? Do I need to encourage myself? Do I need to problem-solve? Do I need to take a break from this task or project (if that is possible)? This week's posts will look at these different strategies that we can use to move away from negative self talk and into a positive direction.

Cheering you on in your work!

Harriet

photo by hls