“Don’t speak negatively about yourself, even as a joke. Your body doesn’t know the difference. Words are energy and cast spells. That’s why it’s called spelling. Change the way you speak to yourself and you can change your life. What you are not changing, you are also choosing.” -Bruce Lee
Those of us who engage in too much negative self-talk risk creating a “self-fulfilling prophecy”. This refers to how the act of “predicting the future” which can cause the event to come true. This is because the act of making the prediction causes us to change our behavior, and it is this that makes the prediction into a reality.
A good example of this would be people in recovery who predict that they are going to fail. The fact that they do not expect to remain sober means that they are unwilling to do the work needed to remain sober. Their negative self-talk not only creates their failure, but it also provides the perfect excuse for relapse. If that person had expected to find success in sobriety they would have put in the required effort to make it a reality. This just goes to show how much THINKING can influence a person’s future.
Negative self-talk can be lethal, but there are things that you can do to help overcome them:
– Be aware of it – acknowledge it
– Challenge this self-talk as it arises – “how could I possibly know that for sure?”
– Meditation techniques and other mindfulness modalities like Yoga can be particularly good for getting a better handle on our “inner world”
– Spending time with positive people and, fill your social feeds with uplifting influencers
-Develop an attitude of Gratitude – spend a few minutes each day thinking about what you ARE grateful for having in your life
– Set realistic goals – one day a time, one moment at a time
– Journaling – get it out of your head and onto paper
– Therapy – there is no shame in seeking help!
There is help. there is hope <3
Some Online Resources:
Better Help, Sure Help, Hasu, Trauma Therapy, Family & Marriage Therapy
Recovery Resources: