Today we’re talking about the inner monologue we all have. This inner voice, often called self-talk, combines our thoughts, beliefs and biases, to provide a way for our brains to interpret and process our daily experiences.

Our self-talk can be cheerful and supportive or negative and self-defeating. Self-talk is beneficial when it’s positive, calming fears and bolstering confidence. Human nature, unfortunately, is prone to negative self-talk, what we here at SFOW call the Inner Gremlin. (Listen to episode #5 Hello Inner Gremlin, We See You to learn more about your Inner Gremlin.)

Negative thoughts are just part of having a brain! (very normal) When we get stuck in rumination, we zoom in on the problem, and the emotions get so intense that we get stuck in a thought loop.

Negative self-talk generally falls into one of these four categories:

1. Personalizing: You blame yourself for everything.
2. Magnifying: You focus on the negative aspects of a situation, ignoring any and all of the positives.
3. Catastrophizing: You expect the worst, and you rarely let logic or reason persuade you otherwise.
4. Polarizing: You see the world in black and white, or good and bad. There’s nothing in between and no middle ground for processing and categorizing life events.

Do any of those sound a little too familiar? When you begin to recognize your type(s) of negative thinking, you can work to turn them into positive thinking. This requires tools & practice. The good news is that it can be done!

In this episode we’re giving you new tools to improve your self-talk and quiet your inner gremlin. Self-talk can enhance your performance and overall well-being. 

Positive self-talk and generally having a more optimistic outlook can have health benefits, including:

• improved function of your immune system
• reduced chronic pain
• better cardiovascular health
• better physical well-being
• less stress and distress
• greater life satisfaction

Listen now to learn 4 tools to transform your inner dialogue, stop ruminating, calm your fears and bolster self-confidence!

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