How You Talk to Yourself Matters Part I: Positivity Breeds Positivity Bubble Baths and Clay Masks Scrolling through I see lush, filtered photos of bubble bathing, clay-masked women, sandy stretches of serene beaches, and vibrant spreads of fruits and veggies. They peddle self-care mantras and quotes from sages and stars. Ok. Agreed. We do need to take care of ourselves. We do indeed need reminders that we become better versions of ourselves when we respect our requirement for nurturing. But the photos can be misleading. Don’t get me wrong Mindfully holding yoga poses, slowly sipping steaming tea, and luxuriating in spa massages certainly have their place! Oh my god, do they ever! But the very best self-care practices really begin in our heads. We should pamper ourselves with these luscious practices, for sure. But we should also take a look at the kinds of words we use on ourselves. If we’ve got negative thoughts playing on an internal loop, a bubble bath has limited power. No, I haven’t yet I've not yet mastered the art of conquering every single cruddy self-deprecating thought in my head. But I can honestly say I’ve made some huge strides Sipping green tea We sip green tea to rid ourselves of toxins. We seek out massages to loosen stiffened muscles. And seeking to transform our running negative monologue can release tight emotional kinks. Tilting Why do we tilt toward self-criticism? Maybe it’s a human condition of brokenness. (Some personalities lend themselves to a darker disposition). Maybe it’s from damaging chapters in our lives (Mine sprang from a thumb amputation at the age of six). Maybe we tell ourselves we’re no good because we think it'll shield us from other's opinions. I'm sure the reasons are limitless. Stinkin' thinkin' But, whatever the reason lurking behind our self-disavowal, there’s only one result - stinking’ thinking’. With each condemning thought we entertain, we end up digging trenches in our brains that beckon an ever-increasing stream of nay-saying thoughts. No Pollyanna Of course, the intention here isn’t to become some pie-in-the-sky pollyanna with fake, shallow positivity. No, the idea is to look at our negative thoughts head-on. Then take a measured, prescriptive approach. Grab it and stare it down Here's how we need to deal with our negative-nelly thoughts. When we see one approaching, grab it. Stare it down. Then challenge it. A Checklist Here’s an awesome diagnostic checklist from positivepsychology.com that include free worksheets that helps give insight into the nature of our glass-is-empty narratives. A Deeper Look For a continued probe, healthline.com gives a relatable list of 'the sky is falling' and it's all because of me scenarios. Here’s an excerpt. For the full article, click here. Which of these rings true for you? I confess, I've probably done them all. Overgeneralising? Your colleague sends you back an article you wrote with some amends. You decide you’re rubbish at your job. Catastrophising? Your boyfriend said he’d text you when he got home okay. He forgets, and you get scared he’s been attacked and is lying in the street. Personalising? Your friends forget to add you to a group chat, but you incorrectly assume that you’ve been excluded on purpose. Mind reading? Someone gives you a funny look on the street because they thought they recognized you – but you assume they’re thinking that you’re ugly. Mentally filtering? You pass your driving test with 5 minors. Instead of celebrating your success, you beat yourself up for the 5 mistakes you made. Discounting the positive? You get a top mark on a piece of coursework, but you explain it away as a fluke or sheer luck. Making “should” statements? A client at work is unhappy because you missed a small section of a report. You demean yourself because you “should” have seen it and “should” be better and “shouldn’t” be making mistakes. Emotionally reasoning? Your feel guilty, so you reason that you’ve definitely done something wrong. Labeling? You accidentally upset a child, so you label yourself in single, total terms: “a bitch” or “evil.” Sound Familiar? Do these sound as familiar to you as they do to me? Our thoughts mold our self-perception and frame our self-esteem. I remember my Mom always saying, "Pretty is as pretty does." And even from an early age, I understood her meaning. How we think of ourselves is reflected outwardly. I only wish I'd read articles such as these long ago. https://happiful.com/what-is-self-esteem-and-how-can-i-improve-it/ https://happiful.com/what-is-self-esteem-and-how-can-i-improve-it https://cbtpsychology.com/self-compassion/ https://www.themix.org.uk/mental-health/body-image-and-self-esteem/building-self-esteem-5940.html Make Bookends We all have negative thoughts. It’s just part of being human. But being aware of them, understanding their origins, and knowing how to deal with them puts us on the best path toward true self care. So, when you think, “Ugh! I didn’t get all the things done today that I’d wanted!” Bookend that thought with affirmations of what you DID accomplish. Curating our thoughts gives us control over the “noise” in our head. Though negative thoughts are inevitable, learning to navigate up, over and through them is the very foundation of self care.
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