Do you talk to yourself? It may sound funny, but this is completely normal. Often, we have an internal conversation within ourselves, called self-talk. The words you tell yourself mentally or aloud during your self-talk impact you in ways you may never imagine.
Positive words can have positive effects on your mind and body, and negative words can affect your self-esteem and behaviors negatively. Keeping your self-talk positive can improve your life in many ways, so it's important to develop this positive habit.
Here's how positive self-talk can improve your life, and how to do it.
You Have a More Positive Outlook on Life
When you talk positively to yourself, you have a better outlook on life. To have positive self-talk, you need to check the things that you allow your mind to dwell on. Do not expect the worst in every situation. Stop thinking that you are always at fault when things don't go the way you expect them. Avoid focusing on the bad, and always look for solutions instead of problems. With positive self-talk, you focus on the bright side of every scenario.
You Will Naturally Gravitate to Positive People
The people around you influence you greatly, but remember, like attracts like. Negative self-talk creates negativity, and you will be drawn to like-minded people, which will make you even more pessimistic. When your mindset improves, you will become more aware of this negativity. You will be drawn instead to those who exhibit a more positive, uplifting, and supportive ‘vibe.' Being with positive people will help you develop even more positive and creative thoughts.
You Are More Satisfied with Your Life
You are a unique being. You might see things in others that you don't have, but some things are unique to you. When you practice positive self-talk, you don't waste as much time comparing yourself to others or complaining about things you do not have.
So instead of comparing yourself to others and envying what you do not have, you focus on the things you possess and being thankful for them. When you compare yourself to others, you tend to miss out on every blessing that you do have. You feel lacking even when you're not. Remember that everyone is going through life at their own pace, and life should not be a race against anyone else.
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You Improve Your Physical Health
It is said that "laughter is the best medicine," and research proves that it is true. When you laugh, your brain releases happy hormones called endorphins, which decrease pain and boost pleasure, resulting in a good feeling and better well-being. Engaging in positive self-talk will help you find humor in all that you can, and you will feel less stressed.
Plus, when your mental state is healthy, your physical well-being follows. So, when you make positive self-talk a habit, you improve your physical health too.
You Improve Your Mental Health
It's easy to succumb to stress and depression when life gets hectic. However, positive self-talk can help you overcome adversities and improve your mental health in the process. You soon see failures not as dead ends, but simply speed bumps that may slow you down.
Even successful people in history experience so-called failures before they achieved their goals. If J.K. Rowling focused on her unsuccessful marriage, then we will not have known Harry Potter. Or if Walt Disney quit when he went bankrupt, then Mickey Mouse would have remained unknown.
So, if you are working on something and it was not as well-received as you hoped, do not tell yourself that you are a failure and harm your self-worth. Instead, view it as feedback and look at it as an opportunity to learn and grow. Improve your work and improve your mental health.
It can be helpful to use positive affirmations to condition your subconscious mind to be more positive. When you repeat positive affirmations every day, you can change your negative thoughts into positive ones. Start your day by complimenting yourself every morning. Have positive quotes or encouraging words posted on areas that you regularly see and use positive affirmations as wallpaper on your phone. Surrounding yourself with positivity will help you keep your self-talk positive.
You Improve Your Relationship with Others
Sometimes we dwell too much on bad things that have happened to us caused by other people. When you have a habit of positive self-talk, it's easier for you to let go of the past and forgive.
You are not the only one with an unpleasant past. Everybody has made a mistake or experienced something bad at some point in their life. Put that behind, learn the lesson, and let it go. Live today and focus your energy on the positive things that happen to you. In the process, you tend to build a better relationship with others.
You Believe In Your Dreams
Positive self-talk allows you to dream big and believe that you can make it. You can start by creating a dream board or vision board. Put in pictures or words of things you want to achieve in the future and identify the things you need to do to achieve these dreams. With positive self-talk, you become much more motivated to continue reaching for your dreams.
When you complete a task, congratulate yourself. You will celebrate small wins and encourage yourself to continue taking the road to your goals. If along the way, you encounter failures, rise, and try again. Achieving milestones and rising above adversaries will help you produce positive self-talk.
Making your self-talk positive is not an overnight task. It will take time for you to master this, but when you realize its benefits, your efforts will be more than paid off. Establishing a habit of positive self-talk will help you reduce stress, have better relationships and improve your life.
