I struggle with always seeing the positive in life. I have been working on it and been seeing improvement but there are days that are harder than others. I have to be strong for my children and my self. I have read and learned so many techniques along the way. Positive self-talk is an important thing in your life. .
Positive self-talk is one way to deal with stress. We all talk to ourselves; sometimes we talk out loud but usually we keep self-talk in our heads. Self-talk can be positive (“I can do this” or “Things will work out”) or negative (“I’ll never get well” or “I’m so stupid”).
Negative self-talk increases stress. Positive self-talk helps you calm down and control stress. With practice, you can learn to turn negative thoughts into positive ones. For example:
| Negative | Positive |
|---|---|
| “I can’t do this.” | “I’ll do the best I can.” |
| “Everything is going wrong.” | “I can handle things if I take one step at a time.” |
| “I hate it when this happens.” | “I know how to deal with this; I’ve done it before.” |
To help you feel better, practice positive self-talk every day — in the car, at your desk, before you go to bed or whenever you notice negative thoughts.
Having trouble getting started? Try positive statements such as these:
- “I can get help if I need it.”
- “We can work it out.”
- “I won’t let this problem get me down.”
- “Things could be worse.”
- “I’m human, and we all make mistakes.”
- “Some day I’ll laugh about this.”
- “I can deal with this situation when I feel better.”
Remember: Positive self-talk helps you relieve stress and deal with the situations that cause you stress.
