"I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and, doggone it, people like me!"
Stuart Smalley, a character played by Al Franken on Saturday Night Live, may have been a little over the top, but Stuart was on the right track when it comes to self-talk and positive affirmations.
What is self-talk? It's the way you "talk" to yourself inside your head. Self-talk can be positive or negative. And with all of life's complications and stresses, we can easily start down a path of blaming ourselves, which can be self-defeating.
I've noticed that those with diabetes are proficient at self-chastisement. "My blood glucose is high; I screwed up again." What might be better to say? "Yes, my blood glucose is high, but it's only one reading, and it will come down." Admittedly, this is easier said than done sometimes.
Common thought patterns that lead to negative self-talk include:
How can you break yourself from these thinking patterns?
It's possible to start changing your negative thoughts to positive ones through steps like these. Sometimes, though, self-help tips aren't enough to break out of a negative thinking cycle.
Negative thinking can be a symptom of a more serious condition, depression.
If you're experiencing depression, your healthcare provider can refer you to a therapist who's trained in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT therapists teach people how to change such negative thinking.
In Minnesota, we've recently been experiencing record-breaking high temperatures. My positive thoughts are: I'm grateful for air-conditioning, access to swimming pools and ice tea.