Tag: self-esteem

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The Art of Reframing Negative Situations

Ah, Self-talk – the inner soundtrack of your mind.  Sadly, the majority of people have a negative self-talk track that plays over and over in their head. And interestingly, what most of those people say to themselves they would never dream of saying to someone else! Negative self-talk is so harmful and useless! It’s a dream stealer and a liar! Consider the following 7 situations and see how negative self-talk compares to positive self-talk.

It’s the afternoon, your mind isn’t moving as fast and it’s harder to focus:

Negative self talk: “Here comes my afternoon blahs. I’m not going to get anything done now.“ Positive self talk: “I feel the afternoon drowsiness coming, time to take a break and clear my head.” Bonus tip – that drowsiness is often dehydration … drink a large glass of water and see how you feel. It works like magic as a pick me up.

A client emails you with corrections for a project you sent in the day before:

Negative self talk: “Oh no – she must think I’m an idiot.” Positive self talk: “Great, I can fix these up and get them back to her in no time.”

You realize you forgot to put clothes in the dryer last night:

Negative self talk: “What is the matter with me? Why can’t I do anything right? I have nothing to wear!” Positive self talk: “Oh well. Now I have an excuse to wear a nice dress to run my errands.

Your mother gives you a backhanded compliment on your new hairdo with her usual criticism chaser: 

Negative self talk: “Nothing is ever good enough for her – I’m such a disappointment, why bother anymore?” Positive self talk: “As usual, ma can’t be pleased – oh well – I like it!”

You find out a group of friends got together for coffee and you weren’t invited:

Negative self talk: “They must not like me. I wonder what I did to make them cross with me?” Positive self talk: “Bet they had a nice time. I’m going to remind them to call me next time they meet up.”

You have worked really hard exercising regularly and eating healthy daily. You weigh in only to find the scale shows again:

Negative self talk: “What’s the point, why do I even bother exercising and eating healthy? Clearly, it’s not working because I gained instead of lost.“ Positive self talk: “The scale might not show a loss but I feel great, my clothes are getting looser, I have more energy, and like being active and all the nutritious healthy food I’m feeding my body.  And, if I have gained muscle and lost fat that would account for it.”

You spent hours & lots of time & energy creating and putting together a new product for your market. The launch is a flop and you only sold one.

Negative self talk: “I knew it – I’m a failure at this. Nothing I do is working. I might as well throw in the towel.” Positive self talk: “Well that’s interesting! … I have learnt a lot…I put a product together and released it. I stepped out of my comfort zone and did it. So what only one person bought it so far? That just means I need to market it more. Maybe I can get some people to help me promote it? I can make this work!” Now that you’ve looked at these 7 examples, what did the negative self-talk do? Did it make you feel worse and down and just blah? That’s what happens. Negativity breeds negativity and most important to remember, negative talk is not truth talking. When you looked at the positive self-talk for each situation, didn’t it make you feel empowered, happy and better about yourself? That’s the point! It’s crucial to our health (and sanity!) that we begin to practice a positive self-talk track and replace the negative one. It’s not always easy to do but every time you catch yourself playing the negative track, stop and switch to a positive one instead. Do you catch yourself doing the negative self-talk? And what do you do about it? Leave a comment below, I’d love to know!
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Conquering Negative Self Talk – Build your self esteem

Conquering Negative Self Talk

Low self-esteem can cause negative self-talk. This can further lower your self-esteem causing a vicious cycle where you continually feel bad about yourself. The good news is that you can change the way you talk to and about yourself. When you conquer negative self-talk, your self-esteem will improve. You’ll gain more self-confidence and you’ll feel more optimistic about your life in general.

If you’re ready to break the cycle of negativity, you need to understand these essential truths.

Actions follow thoughts, so your thoughts are important.

Your actions always begin with your thoughts. If you think that you’re destined to be overweight, then it doesn’t matter how many diet books you buy or how many nutritionists you talk to, you’re still going to be overweight. You’ll stay overweight because you haven’t changed your mindset. You’ve identified the thought that you are that and so you are.

If you want to change your life, you have to change your thoughts first. Instead of thinking that you’re destined to be overweight, flip the script. Say to yourself, ‘I am in control of what I eat and how much I eat’. Instead of thinking you’re over 50 and therefore too old to make changes or have a chance of being fit, say to yourself. ’I can be fit and healthy at my age’ and then – find proof! Doing this changes the story you’re telling yourself. You just went from the victim in this story to the victor. Finding proof, means looking for evidence that it is possible to have what you want. For instance, find examples of women who have amazing fitness for their age. Older athletes or ‘ordinary’ women who have decided that they can do it! If they can do it, so can you!

You don’t have to be carried away by negative thoughts.

You are the only one with the power to change your mental soundtrack. Just because you have a negative thought doesn’t mean you have to listen to it, or, even more importantly, believe it. You have the power to change your focus. Instead of concentrating on the terrible day you had, start thinking about a simple pleasure you’re anticipating like getting to change into your warm pyjamas tonight or hearing your grandsons laughter during a silly bedtime game. By focusing on the positive, you’re teaching yourself to let go of negative thoughts.

Garbage In = Garbage Out

It’s hard to stay positive if you’re constantly consuming negative information. If you really want to change your negative self-talk, then you have to focus on consuming good stuff. You want to read and watch content that lifts you up. Not only will you feel better, but you’ll also notice that your self-talk is more optimistic when you focus on the good.

Practice positive affirmations.

What you say about yourself becomes your truth. That’s why it can be helpful to practice positive affirmations every day. Start by looking in the mirror and telling yourself, ‘Today, I choose to be happy’ or ‘Today, I choose to fully accept myself’. When you speak these thoughts out loud, they’ll begin to affect how you talk to yourself and how you live your life.

Everyone struggles with negative self-talk at some point in their life. The important thing is not to beat yourself up when you realise your thoughts are negative. Accept that you had a negative thought and replace it with a positive one.

Did you know … writing down 3 things you are grateful for, every day for 21 days can change your negative mindset to a positive one?     

Wow!

If you want more inspiration to Conquer negative self-talk, download the free workbook. HERE

Leave a comment below.

If you feel like the joy has been sucked out of your life and want some clarity on how you can get it back, contact me.

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Is It Your Environment that Needs Changing?

Is It Your Environment that Needs to Change?

Low self-esteem and a lack of confidence can be caused by a number of things. Many people think that to fix low self-esteem, you have to look inside yourself. While it’s true that there are internal things that cause low self-esteem, there are also external factors that can contribute to low self-esteem.

Instead of looking inside for all the reasons you’re not more confident or successful, let’s look at the space you live in. Ask yourself these questions and spend some time thinking about your answers.

Are You Playing Small?

Sometimes we feel small because we’re living small. This doesn’t mean that you have to drop everything and go backpacking through Europe right now or that every moment of your life has to be an epic adventure.

But for many people with low self-esteem, it’s easy to get into a rut. You start believing that you can’t do better and so you stop trying. You create a self-fulfilling prophecy without realizing it. Look at your life right now. What limitations have you accepted without challenging them? What areas of your life have you accepted as “good enough”?

Is it time to update your wardrobe, or throw out the stuff that doesn’t fit well or that doesn’t make you feel good?  Do you have a load of mismatched socks that could be replaced? You deserve more … you deserve better, even if it’s just some new socks!

Are You Encouraged and Uplifted by Your Friends and Family?

We are deeply influenced by the people we spend time with. This can be a good thing if you’re spending time with positive people. But if your friends and family are unkind or negative, that same attitude can rub off on you.

Ask yourself how you’d feel if you didn’t speak to a certain friend or family member for a week. Would you feel relieved at the thought of missing Aunt Sylvia’s rants about the job she hates? Would you feel sad if you missed that call from your sister who helps you see the best in the world?

If there’s someone negative in your life, you don’t have to cut them out completely. But do look for ways to limit your time together and don’t be afraid to change the topic of conversation if things take a negative turn.

You don’t have to pick up the phone every time it rings, especially if it’s someone who abuses the relationship you have by constantly interrupting your life to tell you all about theirs. It’s not that you have to be an awful friend or relative, but you could be a little less available for people who bring you down rather than build you up. Answer the phone to people for your convenience, not theirs.

Are You Pursuing New Experiences?

Often a lack of confidence and self-esteem can be caused by becoming too comfortable. You do the same things, in the same way, every single day. You don’t change things about. You don’t challenge yourself to experience new things and you don’t go beyond what’s safe and comfortable. This can cause you to stop growing as a person. It can also make your world seem smaller and contracted. A life lived in black and white rather than full colour!

When you go outside your normal routine and look for new experience, you open yourself up. You discover new ways to do things. You find solutions that you wouldn’t have come up with any other way. You learn more about yourself and the world around you.

You can find new experiences into your life just by looking for opportunities outside of your comfort zone. Try a different type of cuisine. Drive a different route to work. Volunteer at an organization that you wouldn’t typically support. Take a weekend road trip and see where you end up. If I have time, I often drive around a new area of town, a new housing development or go through a village I don’t normally drive through, just to see something different or to learn a different route or area.

Do you exercise?

It’s really important to move your body. Nowadays it’s easy to get stuck in a routine that has you sitting far longer than is healthy. Are you a member of a gym or club? Do you exercise at home with DVDs? Can you walk up escalators or use the stairs more?

Whatever your level of fitness, you can mix it about and change your habits, and little changes and challenges, nothing overwhelming, can really change the feelings you have about yourself and your body.

Exercise is one of the best ways to release stress from your body and that is a necessity for most of us. A small amount of exercise can change your brain when it comes to relieving stress and is so much better than reaching for alternative ways to self soothe. You know what I mean!… too many glasses of wine, snacks in front of the TV or cigarettes. Make some tweaks … you will begin to feel better about yourself and take on a new attitude to everything around you, and who knows where it might lead.

Your environment shapes your self-confidence, so don’t be afraid to look around at your life and make some changes. Surround yourself with people and experiences that build up your self-esteem and make you happy.

Discover how your environment is impacting you with a free bonus workbook.

You can get it HERE

Leave a comment below.

If you feel like the joy has been sucked out of your life and want some clarity on how you can get it back, contact me.

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The first steps to improve your self-esteem

 

 

The First Steps to Improving Your Self-Esteem

This is the first of several pieces about self-esteem. I hope you enjoy them and, even more, I hope that they help you take a fresh look, a different perspective about how you look at yourself and your life.

Self-esteem is all about how you view yourself. It’s the lens you look through when you consider who you are. If you have low self-esteem, you may view yourself in a negative way.

Instead of thinking about how you have the gift for communication, you see yourself as someone who just can’t shut up.

When you have low self-esteem, it’s easy to fixate on your flaws. But you don’t have to let low self-esteem destroy your confidence. There are simple steps you can take to start building up your self-esteem today.

Stop living in the past.

People with low self-esteem often hold on to their old mistakes. They replay them in their minds again and again, wishing they could do things differently. But the problem is that you can’t change the past.

The first step toward increasing your self-esteem is to forgive yourself and let go of mistakes. One way you could do this is by journaling about your mistake, fully understanding the feelings and emotions that it created and grieve what it was you lost. Then, when you’re done,  destroy the pages. Burning them is best if you have a safe place to do so.  Any time you’re tempted to relive your mistakes, remind yourself that those pages of your life are gone and that today’s a new day.

Pursue work that you enjoy.

Low self-esteem can take a toll on your ambitions. You may be stuck at a job you hate because you worry that another employer won’t want you or that you have nothing valuable to bring to another employer.

Building up your self-esteem can help you find work that you’ll enjoy. Start by looking at your current job. What do you enjoy? What areas do you shine in? Try asking your boss these questions or look at your old job reviews for answers.

If you’re in a job you hate and you can’t change it, do things you enjoy in your free time. Being successful at work isn’t the only way you can find or measure success. Pick up an old hobby or look for a new one. This is a simple way to discover talents and abilities that you didn’t know you had. 

Learning a new skill that you can put to good use, the kind you might go to night school or adult education college is a great way to build your skills and your self-esteem. Finding you can achieve something off your own back,  just for the heck of it really can be a stepping stone to something bigger and better in your life.

Finish a project you really care about.

Focus on what you’re naturally drawn to. Maybe you’re crafty and can knit blankets. Maybe you love creating new recipes in your kitchen. When you focus on finishing projects you enjoy, your self-esteem will slowly increase. You’ll start to feel better about yourself and have the energy to do even more of the things you love.

When it comes to building up your self-esteem, understand that it’s a gradual process. Concentrate on taking small steps toward your goals and be kind to yourself when you make a mistake. 

Let me know how you get on!

Leave a comment below.

 

 ps – Take the first step to improving your self-esteem when you download the bonus workbook. Look out for the link at the end of the final article in  the series.,