Positive Self-Talk - How to Talk Yourself into Being Healthier and Happier

Self-talk is often referred to as an internal dialogue. It’s natural to talk to oneself, and when we fill our minds with reassuring affirmations, this has a positive impact on our health, both physical and mental. It is not always easy to keep positive inner dialogues, but it is crucial and should be a part of your self-care routine.

Inner dialogues are what your inner voice says to you throughout the day. It talks you through many of your daily activities, and it prepares you for tasks to come and makes observations about what happens around you. Experts believe that it is your unconscious thoughts and partly your conscious thoughts that lead these inner dialogues. These thoughts are sometimes negative and sometimes positive. However, with a little practice, it is possible to control our thoughts so that we push them in a positive direction.

What are the benefits of positive self-talking?

It reduces stress – Having positive thoughts can help you to deal better with stressful events. Stress can have many negative impacts on your health, such as weakening your immune system, increasing the risk of inflammation, mental health conditions, and more.
It reduces anxiety and worries – Speaking positively to yourself can decrease fear and anxiety, improve your mood, and positively impact your happiness. It can also increase your self-confidence, as well as your performance and efficacy.
It makes you more confident – Research proved that speaking positively to yourself can increase your confidence. If you are more confident, you are also more likely to lead happy and positive relationships and have improved performance at your job or school. On the other hand, negative thoughts can interfere with your work productivity and can also lead you to have self-esteem issues and, therefore, issues within your relationships.
It makes you happier – If you are trying to figure out ways of being happy, make sure to start switching from thinking negatively to thinking positively. Being positive and having positive inner thoughts can make you feel more optimistic and energized.
It helps you stick to healthy habits – If you speak positively to yourself, you are also more likely to stick to healthy habits, as research shows. If you think negatively about yourself and the world, you are also more likely to make unhealthy choices and not treat your body well, which can impact your general health.
Can help to decrease depression – Studies also show that negative self-talk can increase the risk of depression and other psychological issues. Depression can have many negative impacts on your health, such as on the digestive and cardiovascular and immune systems.

There are so many benefits of positive self-talk that Lloyd Jenkins, Ph.D., the owner of the Budwig Center, compiled some inspirational accounts and tips for his patients in his book entitled “Courage and Wisdom in the Time of Need.”

Due to the pandemic, we have now made this ebook available to the public.

You can download your FREE copy here.

How to practice positive self-talk?

Some steps can allow you to achieve your goal of speaking more positively when speaking to yourself. First, you must notice when you are talking negatively and consciously change the way of thinking. Sometimes it is helpful if you write down negative thoughts and work on what to say to yourself when you notice these thoughts coming up.

Self-talk can significantly impact your happiness and health, which is why you should look at it as a self-care routine, just as an exercise, eating healthy, and sleeping well. Some things that can help you practice your new way of positive thinking are setting time aside to reflex, relax, and engage in positive conversations with yourself. Practice positive thinking at least for a couple of minutes every day.

Are there any people, environments, or activities, making it challenging to stick to your positive thinking? Maybe it is time to consider just whether you can do anything to change them or remove them from your life.

A positive way of thinking can be achieved with the help of self-affirmations. Some examples include saying things to yourself, such as:

“I am not a quitter.”

“I am in control of my feelings.”

“I am proud of myself for everything I have achieved so far.”

“I am enough.”

“I can create change.”

“I am thankful for what I have.”

Studies show that gratefulness is vital when it comes to being happy with yourself and your life. For example, grateful people tend to compare their present days with days that were much worse than now. Grateful people are happy about the little things in life, and instead of looking at everything they don’t have, and others do, they are thankful for what they have now. This way of thinking was proven to help reduce negative thoughts and can boost happiness. Surrounding yourself with people who are also positive and who lift you is very important for being able to remain positive yourself.

Positive Self-Talk at the Budwig Center

At the Budwig Center, we provide an array of emotional therapies and techniques that have greatly benefited our clients. In fact, many have praised this aspect of our cancer and wellness programs and have returned home with a renewed energy to battle their illness.

One of the techniques that we use to help patients is the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT). This practice involves a frank appraisal of any issues, concerns, or feelings that a person has and then a positive vocalization of them while tapping on pressure points. The pressure points chosen are believed to be centers of energy flow, which help to reinforce the healing of body and mind. EFT is non-invasive, and people can learn to use the technique independently. It is risk-free but can be very useful for a range of conditions.

Learn more here.

Are there any side effects of being a positive self-talker?

Negative thoughts increase the risk of suffering from anxiety, depression, stress, and a weakened immune system. In turn, thinking positively was proven to help eliminate harmful thoughts. However, they are also a normal part of life. If you are feeling down and have negative feelings, it doesn’t mean that you should deny them. If something is causing you considerable emotional pain, it might mean that you need some more time to work through what is going on. If you feel like you can’t do that on your own, reach out to a loved one, or speak to a professional therapist.

In conclusion, you must remember that talking to yourself is completely normal and everyone does it. However, you must make sure that these conversations are doing you some good rather than harm. Studies show that those who speak in a positive tone to themselves are happier and are generally in better health.

Start by doing your best to make sure that the positive dialogues outweigh the negative thoughts.

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