Self-talk which is also known as our inner voice is what we say to ourselves. These words, whether they are positive or negative, strongly influence how we feel and act in our daily lives. Studies show the average person thinks between 50,000-70,000 thoughts every single day! (Davis, 2014)

This translates to almost one thought per second. That’s a lot of words!

These words directly influence the way we behave and feel. Therefore, it’s important to use positive words that are structured to help us live our best lives.

The problem is that the average person is not even aware of the talk going on in their minds and just how much of an impact the talk is having on their daily lives. Patterns are developed over a period of time when the same word is thought over and over whenever an action occurs. Over time it becomes a habit and before you know it a pattern of negative self talk has been created.

There are ways to become aware of the words we use to speak to ourselves and break patterns of negative self talk.

My story on Negative Self Talk

I found that over the past couple of years because I had experienced a lot of change in my life I would over analyze situations to the point where it ultimately led to negative self talk.

Mark Manson, the author of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck refers to this as the Negative feedback loop from hell. When I realized that I was going down this path of negative self talk and it was influencing my life in ways that were not worthwhile, I realized that something needed to be done immediately.

I had to replace the negative self talk with positive words and positive self talk. The only way I could do this was to recognize the thought patterns I had, create replacement positive thoughts and continue to reinforce the positive. Over time, the positive words/thoughts replaced the negative.

In my video titled, 7 steps I used to Overcome Negative Self Talkhttps://bit.ly/2O8Mv2a I talk about the various strategies I used to overcome negative self talk. The 7 strategies I discuss are

  1. Rediscovering yourself – becoming your own best friend
  2. Evaluate all the Relationships in your life
  3. Keep a Thoughts Inventory
  4. Replacement Positive Thoughts
  5. Visualization
  6. Personal Mantra
  7. Morning Affirmation

To hear my story and how I used these strategies to overcome negative self talk, check out my video at https://bit.ly/2O8Mv2a.  I would love to hear your thoughts. Please share in the comments below or on the video.

About the Author

Fatima Peermohamed

Fatima Peermohamed is an avid yogi, hiker and the founder of the YouTube channel Trending Inspiration. Fatima is passionate about helping people shift their mindsets to reach their potential and live their best lives. Follow on Instagram at https://bit.ly/2MFeUIt and subscribe to her channel for more inspiration at https://bit.ly/2PEHZ8K

Sources:

Davis, B (July 23, 2013) There are 50,000 Thoughts Standing Between You and Your Partner Every Day! Retrieved from https://www.huffpost.com/entry/healthy-relationships_b_3307916

Manson, M (2016) Suble Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life. New York, NY: Harper Collins.

Don’t miss out on Fatima’s next video subscribe to her YouTube Channel Trending Inspiration at https://bit.ly/2PEHZ8K  

Positive Words Research – Thoughts Matter: How I switched from Negative to Positive Thinking