How negative self-talk kills self esteem

It is well known that negative self-talk kills self esteem. Cognitive therapy focuses on helping people talk to themselves more positively, among other things.

What names do you call yourself?
When you make a mistake, do you say...
- What an idiot! How can you be so stupid!
- Can't you get anything right! What a loser!
- There you go again! You're not really up to it, are you?!!
Who else has talked to you this way in the past?
Why are you still listening to them?
You can't change your past, but you can change the way you talk to yourself today.
Start by making a LONG list of all the good things you have ever done.
Catch yourself saying nasty things to yourself.
Exclaim: Stop it!!
Say the opposite to yourself, that you have achieved a lot of good things.
Recite your list of achievements to yourself.
Regularly review your list of Shoulds and tell yourself it's OK to be less than perfect.
Be proud of what you have done and of what you are working on.

How do you talk to yourself?

All pages written by Mitch McCrimmon, Ph.D. and copyright © Self Renewal Group 1996-2010