Reducing Negative Talk

Moments and circumstances in our lives, whether they seem pivotal or fleeting, conscious or subconscious, spark off negative or positive trains of thought in our head. Many times they develop from childhood and can very easily become reoccurring and easily triggered, setting the trend for negative talk.  Negative talk can be dangerous and unhealthy for us, causing anxiety and stress. Anxiety in itself can be the launching pad for not just other psychological disorders but more often then not, physical disorders also. In a nutshell, negative talk has the potential to diminish your quality of life and right to be happy and all from inside your own head.

So how do we eliminate negative talk?

Well, we don't eliminate it completely, it serves a purpose to keep us balanced. But we should reduce it significantly so that it doesn't interfere with our overall perception of ourselves, others and the world around us. Reducing negative talk may involve changing your train of thought with roots deeply ingrained in your psyche.

Plans and tips

Here are some approaches you may take to reduce your negative talk

Covering your negative thoughts with positive thoughts and suppressing them could do more damage, you want to actually alter your current thoughts so they eventually become second nature

• Recognize your negative thoughts - Changing your train of thought will always involve recognizing your negative thoughts when they arise. When you catch them you can change them, start to realize that you are thinking negatively and how much
            o If you can, just recognizing that you're thinking negatively is enough to change your thought to a more positive manner
• Write Down Your Thoughts - Jot down your feelings and negative thoughts. This can make you more aware of your inner thoughts and serve as valuable in establishing how your negative thoughts come together to create a negative picture. This can logically help you establish new thought in just a 3 step process
           1. Write down your negative thought: "I don't want to go to the party"
           2. Write down why you think this negative thought exists (this section may be long): "I might say something stupid. I could embarrass myself"
           3. Write down a responsive positive thought: "I could have a lot of fun at this party. Meet great people, have some laughs, drinks and a dance. If I start to feel uncomfortable I can get some fresh air and leave whenever I feel like it"
• Look On The Bright Side (Change Negative To Positive) - Sounds like a cliche and easier said then done, but you can do this logically and find the flip side to many situations. Things don't have to be negative. Recognize, then alter.
           1. The catchup was canceled, now what am I going to do?
           2. That's alright, I have lots of spare time, I can do whatever I want with it
• Don't Limit Yourself - saying things like I'm not going to get through this, I'm going to fail, this is going to be bad, this isn't possible will more then likely end badly. Try to take a more proactive, logical approach and assessing possibilities instead of limiting yourself.
            o Recognize the negative: "This is impossible!"
            o Change/Question: "How can I get around this? What are my options?"

Other Tips

Okay, so we've covered some initial approaches we can take. As you put them into practice and notice your thought processes change you will be able to extend on them. It will take a lot of practice to retrain your thoughts. Changing years of ingrained thoughts won't come easy to most so be patient.

Take it Easy on yourself

Be good to yourself and think well of yourself, not beating yourself up over anything

Fear, Stress

Learn to speak to yourself so that you can relax, soothe yourself and dispel fear