A little voice in our head helps us
make sense of the world
Often at times, a person may come up with several thoughts in mind such as “I can’t do anything right. I shouldn’t even try.”; “Nobody likes me, I should stop trying to make friends.”; “I don’t like anything about myself.”; “I’m so dumb.”; “I look so ugly”; “I am a failure”; “My body is disgusting” and many more… such talks are often a cause of negative self-talk. On the flip side, thoughts such as “I am grateful for all the good things in my life.”; “I trust myself to succeed.”; “I am worthy of a healthy relationship.”; “I am in control of my thoughts and emotions.” and many more… contribute towards positive self-talk.
The much talked about term ‘Self-talk’ is a normal phenomenon. It is the endless stream of thoughts that keeps on running in an individual mind. It is the inner voice, the voice in heads that says things that one often can’t say aloud. Self-talk can affect an individual’s certainty and the impact of it can be great or awful, depending upon whether it is positive or not.
Every individual has a little voice in their head that helps to make sense of the world. It helps an individual to make good decisions, keep them safe and even motivates them to work towards their goals. On the other side, negative self-talk can have the opposite effect and can negatively impact self-confidence and self-esteem and often lead to a vicious cycle. When the situation becomes too negative, it can affect the beliefs about selves, making it difficult to find healthy ways to cope with the situation and can ultimately increase stress.
“Our actions are a reflection of our thoughts.” However, it is difficult to always practice positive self-talk, especially while undergoing a stressful life event. Negative self-talk can spiral out of control. The negative thoughts can lead to heightened depression and anxiety making the life of an individual difficult to cope with everyday challenges and feelings of overwhelm and burnout. Also, it lowers self-confidence and self-esteem, harms relationships with others and ultimately ruins the chance of success in life as the individual starts creating self-doubt which prevents them from taking risks and pursuing their goals and dreams.
An individual needs to interject those thoughts with periods of mindfulness. Negative self-talk is often experienced by people who have depression or anxiety. It can happen either to an adult or a child depending upon the circumstances. For a learner, engaging in positive self-talk before exams can reduce performance anxiety. For an athlete engaging in positive self-talk will significantly improve their performance. It also helps them stay engaged with the sport and have fun while performing. It can be encouraging and distressing at the same time. Much of the self-talk depends on your personality.
Self-talk is something that can enhance the performance and general well-being of an individual. Maintaining a consistent practice of positive self-talk is an art. It is challenging as continuous negative thoughts may hinder an individual’s efforts to cultivate a positive outlook on life.
Remember, negative self-talk can lead to a negative self-perception which can cause poor self-esteem, thereby affecting the individual coping mechanism. It can be limiting and stress-inducing for an individual. Shifting to positive self-talk can be a powerful tool for transforming life. With time, positive or negative self-talk becomes a habit and can be changed as the situation demands.
Positive self-talk can help keep an individual mindset upbeat and hopeful, which can help them get through difficult and stressful situations. Self-talk does play a crucial role in the overall well-being of an individual and paying attention to it can have a positive impact on the overall well-being of an individual.
