Stop Abusing Yourself: Tips to End Negative Self-Talk - Part Two

So, you've read part one of this series and you've recognized that you engage in negative self-talk on a regular basis. Now you're wondering exactly how you can stop it. Well, to be perfectly honest, you can't stop it entirely. There are ways we can train our brains to disregard this negativity or to think positive first. This reprogramming takes practice, but it is far from being impossible!!

The first way of retraining yourself, which we will discuss here in part two, is simple enough: stop and think. Stop yourself, and ask yourself these questions:

"Do I really want to do this to myself?"
"Would I ever say such horrible things to a friend?
"Do I want to continue to be upset, or do I want to feel better?

These questions will help your brain to realize that what its doing is counterproductive. Though you might think negative self-talk could be a motivator, it's doing the exact opposite. Rather than punishing yourself for your shortcomings, why not try a different approach? Why not reward yourself for your positive aspects?

That's where positive affirmations come in. These sayings are designed to instill a sense of self-esteem and confidence in yourself. It might seem ridiculous at first, but you'll soon find that the more you say these things, the more you'll begin to believe them. Here are some examples of positive affirmations you can repeat to yourself to combat those negative thoughts:

- I am smart
- I am worth-while.
- I am loved.
- Everyone makes mistakes. My mistakes don't make me who I am.
- I am just plain awesome.
- I have many positive attributes.
- I deserve respect from others as well as from myself.
- I am my own best friend.

These are just a handful of positive statements you can repeat over and over in order to assist in reprogramming your brain away from its negative tendencies. You don't have to wait until you've discovered you're being negative to use them, however; they are most effective if they are repeated daily.

Whether using pure logic and reason or positive affirmations, as long as you find a way to refute the claims of your own negative inner dialog, you'll find your disposition and your view on life in general will improve significantly. Much of the pain and misery we suffer throughout our lives comes from our own thoughts rather than from an actual event or outside stimuli. Keep this in mind when you find the negative thoughts creeping back in.

But, that can't be it, can it? There's more! In the last part of this series, we'll cover ways in which you can challenge negative thoughts and emotions. Best of luck to you all!