An inner voice that provides a running monologue internal chatter combining conscious thoughts and unconscious beliefs and biases, provides a way for the brain to interpret and process daily experiences.This critical inner voice can raise awareness of internal and external obstacles to achievement. It can also take a toll on one’s confidence, fostering shame and limiting personal growth.

Self-Talk

Destructive self-talk causes you to question yourself so constantly that you can soon become paralyzed with doubt and uncertainty.In constructive self-talk, you cheer yourself on, focus on the positive aspects of a situation, and allow yourself to feel good about what you’ve done. They insightful, thoughtfully constructed, self-reflective, and motivational in nature.Dysfunctional self-talk is focused on the negative aspects of challenging situations rather than on their positive aspects, and had a pessimistic attitude toward change of any kind. Also termed as catastrophic self talk.

Types Of Self Talk

<ol><li>All-or-nothing or black-and-white thinking</li><li>Overgeneralization—applying the results of one situation to all similar situations</li><li>Mental filter—dwelling on one negative detail in an otherwise good experience</li><li>Jumping to conclusions or catatrophizing—concluding the worst not necessarily substantiated by facts</li><li>Emotional reasoning—using our emotional state as evidence of objective truth</li><li>Magnification—exaggerating the significance of a negative event</li><li>Personalization—assuming responsibility for a negative event not under your control</li><li>Blame—blaming others as a way to feel more in control of a negative situation</li></ol>

Most Common Thought Distortions

<ol><li>Notice automatic thoughts. Notice the words and ideas being expressed.</li><li>Identify distortions. See if you recognize any thought distortions or irrational beliefs like should, must, have to, ought, always, and never.</li><li>Challenge your thoughts. This step is often the most difficult and may even require some courage to push through. Ask yourself: What is the evidence? Is there another way to view this situation? Is it in my best interest to hold this belief?</li><li>Rewrite your thoughts. Replace the thought distortions and irrational beliefs with more accurate, constructive statements.</li></ol>

Rewriting your internal script

<ol><li class="ql-align-justify">Personify your inner critic. Give it a silly identity that’s outside of you so you can gain distance from it. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">Play with your thoughts like sing the self-critical thoughts or use humor and lightness by imagining a funny font.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Remind yourself with a rubber band snap and silently say “STOP.” to come back to the present moment.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">End with an “and.” to focus on what other facts might also be true.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Draft power statements.A power statement is a reminder that helps bring you back to your center.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Keep a brag file of accomplishments on a daily or weekly basis.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Create a playlist</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Give someone else a compliment</li></ol>

Rewriting your internal script

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