Have you considered the effect your thoughts or self-talk has on your daily life? How you speak, view, and think about yourself directly shapes your perspective. When you experience negative thoughts and engage in destructive self-talk, you change how your life events are viewed and experienced. This skewed perspective is like putting on a pair of misleading glasses that can alter the way you see your body,

actions, and worth. If your internal dialogue about yourself is negatively at odds with reality, how could practicing positive self-talk help?

WHAT’S IN A NAME?

Research suggests one technique is as simple as saying your name. Try transitioning your thoughts from a first-person to a third person voice. Remove the “I” and “me” and replace with your first name. This exercise gives you a “fly on the wall” perspective, changing the form of your sentences and providing some distance from yourself. This could be the key to promoting more selflove and acceptance by

allowing you to be more rational, and therefore less emotional.

WORTH A TRY?

Does positive self-talk really work? Top athletes and highly-successful individuals have admitted to using this version of self-talk at pivotal moments in their lives. A recent University of Michigan experiment explored it as well, asking volunteers to give a speech with only five minutes of preparation time. Half the volunteers were told to address themselves as “I” while the remaining individuals were asked to use their names instead. Those referring to themselves by name were much kinder and supportive of themselves during their preparation. The “I” volunteers were reportedly more harsh and critical.

BENEFITS OF POSITIVE SELF-TALK

• Lower levels of distress and depression
• Greater resistance to sickness, such as the common cold
• Better psychological and physical wellbeing
• Lower risk of cardiovascular disease
• Increased coping skills and resilience in hard times How we view ourselves is key.

As a general rule, be gentle and encouraging with yourself. If you wouldn’t say it to others, don’t say it to yourself either. Practice positive self-talk today and enjoy the rewards.

https://www.sccgov.org/sites/eap/Resources/EAP%20Sentry%20Newsletters/Documents/Sentry%202016%20vol%204-2%20Summer.pdf