Talk Yourself out of Stress
Positive self-talk is not a bunch of nonsense. It can and does work when practiced an ongoing basis. You might be surprised if you knew what some of the most successful people you know were thinking. We don’t know their thoughts for sure, but we can probably bet they don’t involve negative thoughts. Let’s have a look at how you can learn to talk yourself out of stress…
The Reality
All too often the person who beats you up the most and criticizes you is YOU. Others might use words that can be heard, but your mind is more insidious than that. At every turn, there are those dark thoughts just waiting to spring into action when you decide to try something new or experience an obstacle.
What do those thoughts say to you? Things like:
“You’ll never be able to handle a new position at work.”
“You are not smart enough or pretty enough to be noticed.”
“You are kidding yourself if you think that you can get a loan.”
“See, I told you so. This setback is a sign of more bad things to come.”
Have you ever heard this kind of loop playing in your head? Don’t under-estimate it’s effect. It’s truly a force to be reckoned with. That negative self-talk adds to potentially stressful situations that you face. It could be the difference between staying calm and balanced and experiencing total meltdown.
What’s the Solution?
How can you turn potentially stressful situations into manageable events? It all begins with reprogramming the tape in your head. Instead of spewing negative thoughts, teach it to speak positive and realistic affirmations at every turn.
Self-talk is not about telling yourself that everything will be rainbows and unicorns. It is about tapping into the channel of realism to help you see a better solution besides going right for the negative side of things. For instance, a setback is usually not fatal. There are solutions at your disposal but that fact is hard to come by if your mind is constantly filled with harsh and unfounded thoughts.
Here are some tips to help with reducing your stress levels.
- Check the facts – When your brain tells you that you can’t do something, ask it why not. Run through the actual facts of the situation at hand. Discard assumptions so only what is truly real remains.
- Count your blessings – If you were so worthless, how could there be anything to count? Nonetheless, when you can find good things in your life to highlight, there is hope. Recount your blessings each and every day.
- Find positive people – Those who are successful and proactive often associate with like-minded people. Lift yourself up by finding other upwardly mobile people.
- Make a change – The company you keep or the image you project could be fueling your stress. Choose a new wardrobe with clothing that reflects a happier and more confident self-image. Move away from friends who have nothing but bad things to say.
It is really IS possible to release stress and speak happiness, truth and peace into your life.
