Change your negative self-talk

Negative self-talk

We all have an ‘inner dialogue’, that voice in our head that guides our decisions and actions. Sometimes our inner dialogue can become distorted and negative. This can happen particularly if we have been through challenging experiences or if we are feeling low or depressed.

We can tell ourselves things like:

• I’m not good enough
• I don’t deserve to be happy
• Things will never get better
• Nobody likes me.

Stories we tell ourselves….

It can be helpful to recognise that this inner dialogue is not necessarily true. Our thoughts are stories that we tell ourselves and these stories are not always based on fact.

We might not be seeing the big picture. We might be thinking about things in a black or white way, without seeing the grey areas. We might be making assumptions about the situation or about our own ability and capacity to cope.

Becoming a cheerleader!

It’s important to recognise that we have the capacity to change the way that we think. We can remind ourselves that thoughts are just stories, they might not be true.

Think about alternative points of view. How would a friend view this situation? What would someone who really cares about you say? What would you say to someone you love who was thinking the way that you are?

Instead of paying attention to that negative self-talk we can learn to become our own cheerleader and view the world in a more positive way.