#SelfCareFriday: On Positive Self Talk

NAMI Chicago thinks about mental wellness everyday. During COVID-19, we are even more aware that the way we take care of ourselves will shape our ability to maintain mental wellness and face mental health challenges with courage and hope. We call these methods of taking care of our own mental wellness “self care”: everyday actions that build a lifelong mental wellness strategy (pandemic or no pandemic).

In our weekly #SelfCareFriday series, licensed social worker and NAMI Chicago Senior Clinical Manager Jessica Zaehringer, MA, LSW, will share and explain new ways each week to take care of yourself. Take these strategies to heart, and reach out to us if you need help building your mental wellness. You can call our Helpline at 833-626-4244 or check out a virtual support group.

#SelfCareFriday: On Positive Self Talk

Happy Friday! Today, I want to talk about why speaking to ourselves with kindness is so important for our mental health. 

We all have an internal voice that narrates our lives. Sometimes that voice can lift us up, but it’s very common that that voice makes us feel bad about ourselves. In the mental health field, we call this voice inside of us that we see ourselves with “self talk”. One of Brené Brown's most famous quotes is: "Talk to yourself like you would someone you love". In that quote, she’s talking about positive self talk. Positive self talk can be really difficult, because it can feel challenging or impossible to be gentle with ourselves. Speaking harshly to ourselves, or”negative self-talk”, is a habit that grows over time. The good news is, in the same way we’ve made a habit of bashing ourselves, we can learn to be kind to ourselves. We empower ourselves through compassionate self-talk. Speaking to ourselves with kindness is incredibly beneficial for many areas of our lives, and especially for our mental well being.

Here’s some ways to practice positive self talk (from ivanlealmartins.com): 

  1. Create Awareness 
    Can you catch yourself in the middle of your negative self talk? Recognizing when this happens is the first step to change. 

  2. Reframe negative thoughts 
    Take the sting out of negative labels to change to positive or neutral words and expressions, i.e. “failure” to “growth” or “I suck” to “I’m having a hard time”. 

  3. Write your experiences in a journal
    Channel your thoughts onto the page, a safe and judgment-free space. Read through your journal once in a while to help identify patterns on a daily, weekly, monthly basis of negative thoughts. 

  4. Practice positive affirmations
    Remind yourself of your strengths and talents by literally saying them to yourself, out loud or in writing. A positive affirmation can be something like: “I am kind, caring, and a comfort to others”.

  5. Be mindful of your environment 
    We can be a product of our environment, including influences from media, relationships, and physical surroundings. Is there a place or person you feel more comfortable with? More guarded? Try to recognize what comes up when you enter different environments. 

  6. Celebrate your wins! 
    Don’t discount your talents and your accomplishments. When you know you’ve done something awesome, write it down. It will get you through the hard thoughts later. 

Remember: you are worthy, seen, and cared for. There’s an affirmation to start with!

Jessica Zaehringer, MA, LSW Senior Clinical Manager, NAMI Chicago

Jessica Zaehringer, MA, LSW
Senior Clinical Manager, NAMI Chicago

 


If you need support managing your mental health, have questions about mental health, or just need a listening ear--reach out to NAMI Chicago’s Helpline at 833-626-4244.

Guest User