For some of us, our ongoing self-talk is quite harsh or critical. To start to shift self-talk to very positive or loving dialogue may feel impossible or really unappealing. It may even feel counterproductive or unsettling to change self-talk, especially if negative self-talk is seen as a way to self-motivate.
One way to begin to change your inner dialogue is to try neutral self-talk. Neutral self-talk could sound like:
-"My good enough, is good enough."
-"I made a mistake. We all make mistakes."
-"I don't know the answer and that's okay."
Neutral self-talk can be a way to care for ourselves and our mental health. A step can be to start to notice when your self-talk is critical and to try a more neutral phrase instead. Or, when in a less self-critical moment, write down some phrases that you feel could be helpful to have available on a sticky note or a note on your phone or computer. The more we use neutral self-talk, the easier it will get!
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