“I’ll never be that good.”
“I am never going to get anywhere at this.”
“I should just give up now.”
If one of my friends said these things about themselves I would tell them that these statements are so incredibly far from the truth and yet I have said them to myself over and over again.
I know that I am not alone here.
Most of us speak to ourselves using harsh and unforgiving words every single day and it is having a deep impact.
How do we ever stand a chance of succeeding if we never cut ourselves a break? How can we find out what we are capable of if we berate ourselves at every turn?
Being aware of what I tell myself over and over again is probably the most important practice that I have and I don’t take it lightly.
Positive Self Talk is a practise that I work at consistently.
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Over the years I have found a number of different tools to help me.
Write It Down
I write out all of my negative beliefs and disempowering thoughts. In a $2 spiral bound notebook, I write it all down without censorship! I’m totally honest about how angry, intimidated or out of my depth I feel. Writing it out helps me to examine the core beliefs behind each thought. When I start to pull these beliefs apart, I can then move beyond the surface fear into something truthful and empowering.
Tapping
Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) is a process where you speak your thoughts and fears out loud whilst tapping on specific places on your body. The acknowledgement of your thoughts combined with the tapping process work to take the power out of your negative beliefs. You always end a tapping session feeling a million times more capable and centred.
Exercise + Meditation
I am prone to overthinking and being all up in my head about things. Spending too long in this state is where my thoughts and fears start to take over. Often the best thing I can do at this point is go and walk up a hill or do a heart centred meditation. Something to get me down into my body and not obsessing over unhelpful thoughts,
Otherwise those thoughts and fears will stop me from living, sharing and growing.
I want you to know that I work at this. I’m sharing this with you because I feel that we should be open about what it takes for us to stay mentally and emotionally healthy and grounded.
These aren’t life hacks! They’re not quick fixes. They are tools that we can keep in our little bag of Self-Care and we make the choice to use them.
What tools do you have in your Self-Care Bag that you can use to support yourself today?
