Ep.4/ Internal Dialogue
Our internal dialogue is that little voice in our mind 🧠 that talks to us as we go about our daily lives.
Many of us tend to have a negative internal dialogue. This often means we are picking at, criticising and judging ourselves. It is almost like having a little bully constantly being unkind to you.
Now, as you can imagine, the effects of this can be vast. It can affect our confidence, self-esteem, and self-worth, contribute to anxiety and low mood and even impact the way we view and interact with the world around us.
In fact, we are often so used to being self-critical that we do not even register the unpleasant dialogue.
In this moment, I would like you to think about 5️⃣ positive qualities about yourself. Notice if you find this difficult or uncomfortable.
Now I would like you to reflect on the following—if I had asked you to list 5️⃣ negative things about yourself, would you have found them as hard or uncomfortable?
Often we bring a whole binder full of our perceived failings or negative characteristics, and yet, thinking about 5️⃣ positive internal attributes is not only difficult—but also uncomfortable. It is at this point, that many of us become aware of how unkind that internal voice can be.
We speak to ourselves in ways we would never speak to others. We place really high standards and unachievable expectations on ourselves and then judge ourselves when we are unable to meet these unrealistic expectations.
Imagine 💭 what our internal world could feel like and how much more we could achieve (not that our worth is tied to achievements) if we could shift that inner voice to a kinder, more supportive and less judgemental one. 🙏🏻
Set yourself the intention to observe that voice throughout the day. Notice when it is being unkind, and without frustration or judgement, stop it in its tracks ✋🏻. In time, you can build on that awareness by saying something kind about yourself in that moment. I use the rebuff, ‘I do not need to do, be or achieve anything to be enough’ just to remind myself. 💛
My parting thought—‘If you would not speak to your friend in that way, you should not be speaking to yourself that way.'
