Talk the Talk: Making Positive Self-Talk My BFF in 2024 (And Why it Should be Yours Too)
- Olivia Bonanno
- Jan 1, 2024
- 2 min read
How many times have you caught yourself in the mirror saying the following things:
"God, you've gained weight."
"Why did you make that comment earlier, you're so stupid. They probably think so too."
"Of course your friend cancelled, she had better things to do."
"I can't believe you forgot to call your son's teacher back, you're going to look so selfish."
Anything sound familiar?
We can be our own worst enemy and the quickest person to tear ourselves down. We've likely been doing it for years and never stopped to question our own inner dialogue. So I'm here to be that reminder for you, that yes- you are worthy of speaking nicely to yourself and yes- it is possible to change the degrading scripts.
Affirmations for Positive Self-Talk: Not Just for Yogis
You've heard of affirmations, right? No, they're not just for the yogis, sipping green smoothies (though their zen vibes sound pretty nice... #goals). We have to actively practice what words we tell ourselves- over and over and over- until it becomes second nature.
Affirmations are a great way to do this. It's as simple as saying something like,
"I'm not a snack; I'm the whole meal!" (hehe, *insert hair flip*)
"I'm competent and smart; I will learn from this mistake."
"My clothes feel a bit tight but that's okay, because that doesn't define my self-worth."
"I'm such a good friend, I can be understanding when plans change."
We're talking about declaring awesomeness on the daily- whenever possible.
Give yourself grace.
Talk to yourself like you would a friend.
This is how we change the script.
Sometimes we need prompts to remind us that we need to be nice to ourselves. Some great ways to encourage this repetition are free phone apps, like:
-"I Am"
-"Mantra"
They will send you daily phone/smart watch notifications with a positive affirmation. Who doesn't love an impromptu pick me up??
Another great way to remind ourselves to use positive self-talk is to hang up/tape notes for yourself in areas that can be particularly difficult spaces to practice- such as in your closet, your bathroom or kitchen.
Even if automatic negative thoughts show up (they likely still will in some capacity), we can neutralize their strength with positive thinking and take the power back in how we define our self-worth.
So be your own hype person.
Talk to yourself like you would your best friend.
We don't have to continue inner dialogues that no longer serve us.
You'll begin to feel improved self-esteem, confidence and appreciation for all you CAN do (because high-key, you always could).
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About the Author:
Olivia is a board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner and is Perinatal Mental Health Certified through Postpartum Support International. She has a huge passion for maternal mental health. She has experience working as a mother infant nurse and providing psychiatric treatment to those in all stages of the perinatal journey. Olivia believes every mother should be educated on how to care for their mental health before, during and after pregnancy. She believes "Mommy's Mental Health" is a movement; one that calls attention to the physical and emotional struggles mothers go through and one that opens the door to conversations with families and friends.
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