Building Self Confidence through Positive Self Talk

Whether you’re at work or just facing a bad day at home, there are many things you can do to make sure you’re back in the saddle and feeling more confident about life. One of the best ways to regain your self-confidence is to give yourself a little pep talk.

The idea of positive self-talk, or positive thinking, is something many coaches and counselors suggest to their clients and nearly everyone can benefit from it. Have you ever been in a situation where you think a little bit of positive reinforcement could make things a lot easier? Don’t wait for someone else to lift your spirits; take a moment and realize you can easily do it yourself!

Be Proactive and Gain Confidence

Having negative thoughts, even about a single project at work, can often impact your entire outlook on life. You may begin to believe that you’re in a trap of bad luck or that things will never get better, but in reality, the only way for things to get better is to make positive changes and that takes both action and self-confidence.

• When faced with a difficult situation that leaves negative feelings, step away for a few minutes and take some deep breaths. Think about a resolution to the problem, come up with a smart action plan, then return to propose your plan. Removing yourself from the situation will help minimize those negative feelings while allowing you to gain some perspective.

What Makes You Special?

Another way to lift your spirits and give yourself a confidence boost is to remind yourself of your accomplishments, both at home and at work.

• Did a client praise your work? Have you been promoted? Do co-workers come to you for advice? Do friends marvel at your decorating flair? Each person is so much more complex than what’s visible on the outside. Allow yourself to delve deeper into your soul and treasure what makes you unique.

Rediscover your personal strengths or hobbies that make you proud and happy.

• Do you love to cook? Have you traveled extensively? Do you play an instrument? Do you play competition sports? These are all accomplishments you should be proud of because you took the time to develop these different facets of your life.

Think about the journey you took to reach those accomplishments. If something was too easy, you may place less importance on the final outcome, but when you are able to face and overcome serious challenges, it makes you a stronger and more determined person.

How Do I Use Positive Self-Talk?

The term positive self-talk might scare some people away, thinking it involves talking to yourself out loud. Although you may choose to say positive affirmations out loud, it’s enough to just think positively about your accomplishments and what makes you special.

If you’re having trouble thinking about your strengths, sit down in a quiet spot and make a list of everything that makes you unique. Taking some extra time to write these things down will help reinforce them in your mind.

• Once the list is written, post it in a place where you’ll see it everyday. Starting your day positively will make the small nuisances disappear.

If necessary, make copies of these lists so you can take one with you. Anytime you feel down or upset, take out your list and read it. You are a fabulous person and this list proves it!

This list isn’t written in stone; it should be a continuously changing list, just as we continuously change ourselves. So be sure to constantly add to your list as you achieve more accomplishments!

Everyone Can Benefit From Positive Thinking

As you build your self-confidence with positive self-talk, you might feel silly at first but you’ll still benefit from the experience. Whenever you feel overwhelmed, stop and give yourself a little pep talk. Reassure yourself that you’re strong, that you can get through anything, and that success is within your grasp.

• Remembering that everyone goes through ups and downs in life will help you face the day more positively.

Thoughts and feelings are what make us human. Everyone experiences negative emotions, but if these negative feelings seem to cling to you everyday, then finding ways to dissolve that negative energy can be empowering.

Your life is yours to control so don’t wait for others to help. Positive thinking and positive self-talk can help you come out of the darkness and into the light.

Combat Negative Thinking with Positive Self Talk

Do you talk yourself out of being excited and hopeful every time you feel good about yourself? Do you often start out feeling confident in yourself and your abilities, and then drop to zero confidence when your inner dialogue kicks in?

This negative thinking is something many people struggle with, but there’s a better way.

You can combat negative thoughts with positive-self talk instead of letting an automatic negative thought process rule your life.

Negative Thinking, Positive Self-Talk, and You

Many people lack the confidence to realize that they deserve to feel good about themselves. These people never pay attention to the fact that they are the ones telling themselves that they don’t deserve rewards.

Are you one of these people? You can discover if you are sabotaging yourself by tuning into your thoughts and listening. What do you hear? Are you encouraging yourself with positive thoughts? Or are your thoughts filled with negatives?

• You may not even realize how negative thinking may be dominating your life. This may be something that you deal with daily and have come to see as normal. However, it’s only normal if you allow it to be that way!

Positive self-talk is the practice of responding to negative thoughts that run through your mind. For example, when you tell yourself that you can’t possibly land the job because you aren’t good enough, you can respond with positive thoughts that do not leave room for negativity. These thoughts can be as simple or complex as you like. The important thing is that you continue to think positively.

• Positive self-talk allows you to be the one controlling your thoughts!

Many people pair positive self-talk with affirmations. Affirmations are simple statements you can repeat to yourself over and over again. You can allow these thoughts to become true for you. The process is as subconscious as it is conscious.

When you continue to reaffirm the positive thought, you will make it true for yourself until you eventually don’t need to remind yourself to think that way.

• Affirmations are positive statements that replace your negative thought processes. You can change your life one thought at a time!

When you are feeling low and thinking negatively about yourself or your future, try saying, “I give myself permission to be successful,” or “I see myself in the winner’s circle.”

Strive to replace your negative statements with positive thoughts when you repeat your affirmations. Soon it will become second nature to repeat your affirmations anytime that you start to think negatively.

• With positive self-talk you can truly change the course of your life. You can go from being a negative person with no hope for the future, to being an optimist who can achieve anything you put you mind to.

Does this mean that there won’t be challenges along the way, or that you’ll never fail? No, because those things are a part of life. But what it will mean is that you’ll have a better attitude, which will allow you to grasp the very best that life has to offer.

Positive self-talk isn’t difficult and it’s worth the effort that is involved because it can truly change the way you view yourself and the world that you live in.