Written by Sarah Davies
Posted: Jan 10 2022
We all have a stream of thoughts that play in our mind throughout the day. Everything from “Did I turn the air con off?”, to “I’ll get onto that after I’ve done this” and even “I’ll never amount to anything”. It’s this last type of self-talk - unhelpful or negative thoughts - which can lower your self-esteem and confidence.
“Negative self-talk, which some people even refer to as their ‘Inner Critic’, is a pattern of thinking about things in a less than favourable way,” Sarah Davies, Registered Psychologist says. “The inner critic can be a helpful guide to motivate us to achieve our goals, but it’s when that inner critic is constantly berating us and overlooking the good, that it starts to become a problem.”
Sarah says that focusing on negative thoughts can lead to decreased motivation, feelings of helplessness, stress and depression.
“Our thoughts are connected to our emotions and how we feel about ourselves, and in-turn the actions/behaviour we engage in. You can see how the ‘limiting/faulty’ belief of “I am not good enough” can start to make you feel inferior to others, minimise your self-confidence and in turn impact your behaviour. It usually manifests in insecure body-language, limited eye contact and avoidance of activities where there is perceived potential for being judged less than favourably.”
Some common unhelpful thought patterns are:
Control the volume
Sarah says the goal is to learn how to turn the volume down on the unhelpful, negative self-talk, and turn the volume up on the more helpful, optimistic self-talk. She also says that naming, or calling out your inner critic when it appears, can be helpful.
“Start noticing what the voice in your mind says to you during the day,” Sarah says. “Write these thoughts down in a journal so that you can start identifying any patterns. If you give your negative thoughts a nickname such as the ‘Mean Girl/Boy of the Mind’, ‘Negative Nelly Voice’ or ‘Debbie Downer’ this can make these thoughts less threatening and easier to identify when they are overly critical and limiting,” Sarah says.
Challenge your negative self-talk
Start noting the positives
If you feel that negative thoughts are too common in your internal monologue, Sarah encourages you to make a commitment to yourself to start noticing the things that you are good at.
“Make a list and add to it every day with at least three things you are proud of yourself for doing,” Sarah says. “This can help to train your brain to notice the positive. The more you do this, the more your brain will start to scan your daily experiences and identify where you are going well. Decide not to get caught up in the Negative Nelly style of thoughts, simply name them, then release them like letting go of a helium balloon up into the sky. Instead, choose to connect with the ‘Cheerleader’ style of thinking in your mind as this will help you to feel good and reach your goals.”
For further reading Sarah suggests:
Mastering Your Mean Girl
by Melissa Ambrosini
The Happiness Trap
by Russ Harris
Looking after your emotional and mental state is important to your overall health and wellbeing. Whether you are looking for information about mental health for yourself or a loved one, we’re here to help.
Posted: Jan 10 2022
Disclaimer
© Copyright Health Partners. 2024 All Rights Reserved.
Health Partners is committed to providing quality and affordable health care, and we value our members and our obligation to protect your privacy. As part of our responsibility in protecting your privacy, from time to time we review our policies to ensure we are meeting our obligations. We have recently made some updates to our Privacy Policy. Please click here to view the Health Partners Privacy Policy.
© Copyright Health Partners. 2024 All Rights Reserved.
Health Partners is committed to providing quality and affordable health care, and we value our members and our obligation to protect your privacy. As part of our responsibility in protecting your privacy, from time to time we review our policies to ensure we are meeting our obligations. We have recently made some updates to our Privacy Policy. Please click here to view the Health Partners Privacy Policy.
Contact options and opening hours
View all