Monday Morning Motivational Message - Self -Talk II

How often do you talk to yourself?

Actually, you talk to yourself more than you speak to anyone else. According to one study, 96% of adults have an internal dialogue, and 25% admit to expressing that dialogue out loud.

There are two ways to talk to yourself, either positively (encouraging) or negatively (discouraging). 

Positive self-talk can psych you up to tackle a difficult task, making you more confident in handling the situation.

Whether we admit it or not, we all "talk" negatively to ourselves from time to time. Everyone has an inner critic. By telling ourselves that we're not good at something, or that a situation is hopeless, or that we never catch a break, we are setting ourselves up to fail and also adding stress to our lives.  

I have a mantra that I repeat in my mind as I fall asleep each night. It goes like this, "I am healthy. I am strong. I am rested. I am relaxed. I am confident. I am kind. I am compassionate. I am courageous. I am loved. I am blessed."

Your brain has a "reality threshold" that helps it determine what is real and what is imagined. This filter can usually distinguish between strong thoughts, which are real, and weak ones, which are usually imagined. However, if an imagined thought is strong, it can be interpreted as being real.

If you are in a cancer battle, like I have been for over thirteen years, you learn that self-talk is a way to make yourself feel better, or in some cases, feel worse. 

When I was getting CAT scans every six weeks, I experienced a great deal of self-imposed "scanxiety." The negative expectation of a negative outcome was a defense mechanism against something harmful appearing on the scan. Since I had no physical control over what the scan results would be, I should have been telling myself that the scan was going to show improvement, or at least show my disease was stable.

Additionally, patients who visualize their bodies producing more immune cells or antibodies can actually increase these numbers. In other words, you can improve your immunity just by imagining it is happening. 

We care for our bodies by eating right, exercising, and getting enough rest. Why don't we care for our brains and psyche in the same way? Why don't we expect or request our brains to partner with us by telling ourselves encouraging and positive messages?

If you are one of those people who see the glass as half empty, stop beating yourself up. Stop hating on yourself and be more heartening. Turn those negative "I can't" thoughts (which we all experience) into positive, motivating, and nourishing "I can" beliefs.

Use your mighty mind to make your mental, physical, and spiritual life better.

Please leave me a comment about your self-talk practices. Your opinions and perspectives are valuable, and I enjoy hearing from you.