Tips for Kinder Self-Talk

In today's world, we need kind self-talk more than ever. Everywhere we look there is someone telling us we should look different, act different, be different...it's exhausting! But knowing when to stop listening and just learn to be yourself is one of the first steps to self-love.

It's hard to control that inner voice. It has a mind of its own and likes to keep us down with thoughts of not being good enough or not being pretty enough, etc. This voice can hurt us and bring us into dark places, but it can also bring us into the light and help us; we just need to understand it and help it change.

Positive self-talk is often seen as a trend or something a rare few have. It's hard to begin and maintain but little habits each day can help improve it day by day. Positive self-talk can be nice thoughts you have about yourself and the life you live. It's how we talk to ourselves, how we view our lives, how we grow and become someone we like. You don't have to one day wake up and think nothing but good thoughts though. That's impossible! We're human. But what we need to do is wake up and think just one little nice thing in the morning. If we can do that each day, that will be the foundation to growing positive self-talk and eventually, you'll begin to notice a difference in your mind.

Here are 5 tips to help you start on this journey and help bring a little more happiness within your day:

1_Think one good thought in the morning

• If all you do is get up and look in the mirror and say at least one good thing about yourself, that will help improve your day. Say you like your smile or your eyes. Maybe you say you like your home or perhaps your hairstyle. Whatever you choose, try to find something new each day.

2_Redirect your focus

• When you begin thinking negative thoughts, refocus, take a deep breath, and redirect those thoughts somewhere else. I know this can be hard, especially in the beginning of your journey, but some things that could help are redirecting your thoughts to something good that happened that day or week. Maybe you can revisit your positive thought from the morning and focus on what you like about yourself.

3_Make a gratitude list

• Every night before bed or during a break in the day, write down a few things you are grateful for. Are you grateful you have a home to live in? Are you grateful for your health? The food you eat? The pets in your home? Family? Write it down and revisit and add to it each day.

4_Ground yourself and breathe

• Sometimes that little voice in our head can be overwhelming so learning to shut it down is crucial. Once you recognize the thoughts starting to surface, take a moment to ground yourself and take a few deep breathes. If you have time, perhaps a quick meditation may help.
  

5_Feel the feelings

• Like I mentioned above, you're not going to change overnight and wake up with just nothing but love for yourself, especially if you have been living with a more negative mindset. But don't feel bad or stress out. It's a process and you have to know that it's alright to feel your feelings. If you feel sad, be sad. If you feel angry that your inner voice is not being positive fast enough, don't worry. Let your feelings out, feel them, recognize them, then keep going. I promise, if you stick to this path, you will find that unconditional love for yourself and will wake up with a positive inner voice.

Transforming your mind to know better self-talk is a process but it's completely worth it in the end. Positive self-talk has beautiful benefits to both the mind and body. It can help improve health and wellness and help you live a more fulfilled, happy life.

Finding support online or in person can help significantly as well. Having support can help motivate you and keep going. Knowing you have someone on your side can help you on your journey.

Did you like this article? Share it with others, like it, and comment something kind! Remember to subscribe to the Lotus Blog to get updates on new posts and get the monthly Lotus Newsletters!