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Positive self talk & gratitude

A little sliver of reflection and an important part of my survival guide…

We all struggle with negative self-talk and often find ourselves dwelling on the things that go wrong; I know how easy it can be to get caught up in a negative spiral. However, I also know how important it is to practice positive self-talk and gratitude in order to maintain a healthy mindset and improve our mental wellbeing.

Positive self-talk involves actively working to replace negative thoughts with positive, encouraging ones. This can be especially helpful when we’re feeling down or stressed, as it can help us reframe our thinking and find a more positive perspective.

Gratitude, on the other hand, involves focusing on the things we’re thankful for, rather than dwelling on what we lack or what’s going wrong in our lives. By practising both positive self-talk and gratitude, we can learn to appreciate the good things in our lives and build our resilience in the face of challenges. I know how hard it is to do this during times when we are struggling, but I promise when we can make this habit, and practice this regularly, soon you will be able to do this daily or be able to challenge those belittling beliefs as they arise; let’s cage our inner-gremlins.

Research has shown that when we practice positive self-talk, we can have a significant impact on our mental health. For example, a study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology found that when we engage in self-affirmation (a form of positive self-talk), we have lower levels of stress, and we improve our performance in challenging situations. Similarly, a study published in the Journal of Positive Psychology found that when we practice gratitude, we also have better mental health, higher levels of life satisfaction, and lower levels of depression.

Of course, practising positive self-talk and gratitude isn’t always easy, especially if we’re used to focusing on the negative.

Here are a few tips to help get us started:

  • Notice our self-talk: The first step in practising positive self-talk is to become aware of our negative thoughts. Try to notice when we’re being overly self-critical or focusing on the negative. Once we’re aware of these thoughts, we can work to replace them with more positive, self-affirming ones.
  • Focus on what we’re grateful for: Take some time each day to reflect on the things we’re thankful for, whether it’s a supportive friend, our health or appreciating a beautiful sunset. We can write these things down in a journal or simply take a few minutes to reflect on them in our minds. We should also use this as a tool in moments when we are feeling emotionally overwhelmed or anxious. Try and start with 5 things we are grateful for and try and change this list daily. For example, “today I am grateful for…”
  • Use positive affirmations: Positive affirmations are short, powerful statements that can help us shift our thinking. For example, we might tell ourselves “I am capable and strong” or “I am worthy of love and respect.”. Again, we should use this tool in moments when we are feeling emotionally overwhelmed or anxious. It will help break the negative thought cycle in our minds. Try and start with 2 things we can positively affirm about ourselves and increase our number when we feel able to. For example,  “I am…”
  • Practice self-compassion: Remember that it’s okay to make mistakes and experience negative emotions. Try to treat ourselves with kindness and understanding rather than beating ourselves up for our perceived shortcomings. Blaming ourselves is completely futile and never serves us; try and change our self-talk. For example, “This didn’t go how I wanted it to go, but I have learnt that…”

Remember, practising positive self-talk and gratitude takes time and effort. Don’t expect it to completely transform our thinking overnight. Instead, we should focus on making small, consistent changes over time and be patient with ourselves as we work to build a healthier, more positive mindset. 

Positive self-talk and gratitude are powerful tools for improving our mental wellbeing.

By learning to focus on the positive and reframe our thinking, we can build resilience and find greater happiness in our daily lives.

So why not give it a try? Your mental health will thank you.

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