Before we start, I want to share a super powerful practice I use called NSDR or non-sleep deep rest. In just about 10 minutes or so, this yoga-nidra practice leaves you feeling as refreshed as after a nap without actually sleeping. Experience it for yourself on our guided podcast, search NSDR and look for the one from Optimal Living Daily. Before we start, please check out our new podcast, Good Sleep.
Have you ever noticed how a calm mind can really set the stage for a good night's sleep? That's the idea behind our new podcast, Good Sleep. Greg, our host from Optimal Relationships Daily is here to help ease you into a peaceful night's rest with some positive affirmations. These affirmations aren't just comforting, they can help ease anxiety and nurture positive thoughts setting you up for a true, good sleep.
So press play on Good Sleep tonight because a good tomorrow starts with a good night's sleep. Just search for Good Sleep in your podcast app and be sure to pick the one from Optimal Living Daily. This is Optimal Living Daily Episode 3156, How to Free Yourself from the Bad Habit of Negative Self-Talk by Ellen Bergen of IfItBringZooJoy.com and Rainerator Justimolic Reading Blogs every single day of the year, including holidays. Now let's get right to it as we optimize your life.
How to Free Yourself from the Bad Habit of Negative Self-Talk by Ellen Bergen of IfItBringZooJoy.com. Becoming my best self is something I've been working on for several years. I've been educating myself by reading, listening to various audio material, and attending workshops. It's been a path of trying my best to let go of old habits that aren't serving me well and adopting new habits that help me grow into a more calm, peaceful, and happy person.
Overall, my goal is just to be happy with who I am and where I am in my life. It's a continual work in progress. What habit I noticed that I and many others do is flippantly saying or even just thinking things about ourselves that are negative in nature, beating yourself up, that inner critic in your head, negative self-talk, putting yourself down, whatever you want to call it. It's time to say goodbye to the self-destructive and disempowering voice in your head that steals your confidence and makes you feel bad about yourself.
Most people don't even realize the effect of these negative comments or thoughts. The act of saying the negative comment is keeping you from attracting what you want into your life. Gating yourself up in this manner is extremely disempowering. Here are some examples of negative things you should stop saying and how to take your power back by reframing them with more positive, encouraging comments or thoughts.
Don't say, I'll never be good at that or I'll never get that. Reframe it. With that attitude, you won't get it. Instead, believe in yourself and always think positively.
Give yourself a pep talk and tell yourself that you can do it. Intear way to feeling more confident by softening your words. Use words that make you feel good about yourself. For example, say to yourself, I've really improved.
I've learned a lot and I'm doing pretty good. I can see myself being good at that. Don't those words bring on a much better feeling than I'll never be good at that. Acknowledging even the smallest step forward is very empowering.
Be happy with where you are and enjoy the journey to where you're going. Continue with the pep talks each step along your path. Focus on what you can do, not what you can't do. Be proud and own your strengths.
Overuse of saying, I'm sorry. Reframe it. Saying, I'm sorry when you truly need to apologize is of course a good thing. I'm sorry that needs to stop is over apologizing when no apology is needed in the first place.
I hear this often from women more so than men. It said so quickly that I don't even believe they even realized they said it. The feeling I get when people say this type of I'm sorry is they need to work on boosting their self worth and believe that their opinion is valid and worthwhile. Hold your head high, shoulders back and know that you are good just the way you are.
Don't say I'm so fat. Reframe it. First, why even say something like that? You're doing yourself a real disservice because that type of self defeating comments or even thought will likely bring you exactly what you're saying.
Regardless of your weight or any other characteristic, be kind to yourself. Love yourself as is. Make a list of positive aspects about yourself that have nothing to do with weight. Are you nice, responsible, authentic, friendly, spiritual, funny, strong, helpful?
Be your best cheerleader. Get into the habit of acknowledging yourself for anything you do to improve yourself positive thoughts you have about yourself. And when you have a new awareness that can help you grow as a person. Appreciate your strengths.
Tell yourself remember that you are amazing. Grab my free printable quote cards. Keep them on your mirror, computer monitor, wallets or anywhere to act as a reminder to be kind to yourself. The cards are also great to secretly leave for people as a random act of kindness.
Don't say nothing ever goes right in my life. Reframe it. Here again, be careful of what you're attracting to your life. This attitude will attract failures, not successes.
We all have so much good in our life. Even if you're at the end of your rope, the sun still rises, plants still grow and to see us saying by Abraham Hicks, things are always working out for you. Becoming a better you. Surround yourself with a circle of support.
People who motivate you help you stay positive and will inspire you to grow. Negative self-talk can keep you from all the great things that life offers, especially from being a happy person who attracts good things into your life. Putting yourself down with negative self-talk makes you feel powerless, steals your confidence and increases anxiety. With increased awareness and practice, you can diminish this bad habit that steals your personal power.
You just listened to the post titled How to Free Yourself from the Bad Habit of Negative Self-talk by Ellen Bergen of IfItBringsYouJoy.com. It'll be right back with my commentary. Thank you, Ellen. It's crazy to imagine how different and positive our thinking could be if we paid a little bit more attention because often we ruin our own days really with a consistent negative attitude.
That doesn't mean we have to always fake our way through everything if we're in a bad mood or just don't feel like being happy. But the examples given here are great. Many of these conversations in our heads or even out loud are just unnecessary at best and harmful at worst. So it's important to revisit this and think about how we can reframe those statements from time to time.
The thing to remember is that the hardest part is remembering to catch yourself as it's happening. It's easy to hear an article like this and think, oh yeah, I do have negative self-talk pretty frequently and I should change that. But actually realizing it as it's happening in that moment, catching yourself and then reframing it, lots of different stories. As Ellen mentioned, surrounding yourself with positive people is one great way to keep yourself accountable.
But I'd also mention my go-to strategy that's mindfulness exercises like meditation that force you to recognize your thoughts over and over again. That's a practice. Whatever you can do to notice the negative self-talk is a step in the right direction. I've been thinking about offering meditations for you as another podcast that I would host.
Let me know if you'd be interested in that. If enough people want those meditations, they'll motivate me to do it. You can get in touch at oldpodcast.com or simply reply to my weekly newsletter and get in touch. Let me know what you think.
And have a great rest of your day and I'll see you tomorrow with a post from Steve Pablina where your optimal life awaits.