By Shannin Prather
April 2023 | 2023 Spring Newsletter
People do not enjoy being talked down to or made to feel bad about mistakes. Most often, when a mistake is made that a person owns up to and apologizes for, they are forgiven, comforted, and supported by those around them. However, we are often less forgiving to ourselves than we are to others.
There is power in the way we think about and treat ourselves. Our thoughts can have a direct impact on our well-being. Our thoughts can also impact the way we view the world and our circumstances.
Self-talk refers to the words, phrases, and stories we tell ourselves. Stressful
thoughts can lead to a negative view of our situation and may cause harsh self-talk directed at oneself, a care provider, other people, or life in general.
Negative self-talk might sound like “I can be so dumb sometimes,” “The universe is against me,” “I’m a burden,” or “I can’t handle this.” These invasive thoughts can make the body tense up, cause stress and high emotions, and may stop a person from looking for solutions.
Fortunately, the opposite can also be true. Viewing situations in a positive way can help one face obstacles calmly, rationally, and even make it easier to cope with challenges.
“Reframing” is a method used to shift how a situation, challenge, or person—including oneself—is being treated. Reframing uses positive self-talk to create a sense of strength and empowerment but does not mean “sugar-coating” or ignoring issues. Reframing means shifting focus to finding solutions or managing the situation.
When you notice yourself saying something negative in your mind, stop that thought immediately by saying “Stop.” The next time a thought like that comes up, reframe it into action-oriented questions like:
- How can I handle this?
- How will this be possible?
- What can I do differently to avoid this in the future?
People do not enjoy being talked down to or made to feel bad about mistakes. Most often, when a mistake is made that a person owns up to and apologizes for, they are forgiven, comforted, and supported by those around them. However, we are often less forgiving to ourselves than we are to others.
There is power in the way we think about and treat ourselves. Our thoughts can have a direct impact on our well-being. Our thoughts can also impact the way we view the world and our circumstances.
Self-talk refers to the words, phrases, and stories we tell ourselves. Stressful
thoughts can lead to a negative view of our situation and may cause harsh self-talk directed at oneself, a care provider, other people, or life in general.
Negative self-talk might sound like “I can be so dumb sometimes,” “The universe is against me,” “I’m a burden,” or “I can’t handle this.” These invasive thoughts can make the body tense up, cause stress and high emotions, and may stop a person from looking for solutions.
Fortunately, the opposite can also be true. Viewing situations in a positive way can help one face obstacles calmly, rationally, and even make it easier to cope with challenges.
“Reframing” is a method used to shift how a situation, challenge, or person—including oneself—is being treated. Reframing uses positive self-talk to create a sense of strength and empowerment but does not mean “sugar-coating” or ignoring issues. Reframing means shifting focus to finding solutions or managing the situation.
When you notice yourself saying something negative in your mind, stop that thought immediately by saying “Stop.” The next time a thought like that comes up, reframe it into action-oriented questions like:
- How can I handle this?
- How will this be possible?
- What can I do differently to avoid this in the future?