How can you use positive self-talk to build resilience during tough times?

At 21, I thought working for BCG would be covetous- The honest reality is I was hustling more at BCG than I had to hustle to get an offer from them. In the hindsight, my MBA also was way harder than clearing my GMAT. Startup life is celebrated with million-dollar valuations and awards thanks to the media. But the reality is, that running venture is the hardest thing I have ever done in my career. "Your life will be set, if you crack IIT JEE", is the biggest yet most important lie our parent's generations sold to us. Most hard things in life test you and make you ready for a testing future. And that testing the future builds your resilience and character for a life worth living❤️.

Positive self talk is also being kind to yourself. Treating and speaking to yourself as your own best friend. It's surprising how kind we are to other people but very demanding on ourselves. So positive self talk can be about nurturing yourself and encouraging yourself to stretch and go bigger. Telling yourself "you got this!" Listing out all your previous accomplishments, similarly on how you would raise your best friend's confidence. If you take a step back and see yourself as your best friend, it's amazing how easy it is to give yourself that positive self talk. It's a good way to nip the cycle of renumerating and instead focusing on RELISHING the successes.

Incorporating positive self-talk into your daily life can be a powerful tool for improving your mental and emotional well-being. Start by becoming aware of your inner dialogue. Pay attention to the thoughts and words you use when facing challenges or setbacks. Replace negative thoughts with positive, supportive, and realistic statements. For example, instead of saying, I can't do this, say, I may find this challenging, but I have the skills to handle it.

Positive self-talk is also about self-compassion, recognising that things are difficult or challenging and caring about how you are feeling to find more positive ways of thinking that are non-judgemental.

The moment you remember nobody is coming to save you, then self-talk becomes very handy. Positive self-talk is also known as positive affirmations. And it just you saying sweet things to yourself to uplift your spirit and boost your self-confidence.

Positive self-talk is a key component of emotional intelligence. It helps you manage your emotions effectively, making you more resilient in the face of adversity and better at handling interpersonal relationships.

Positive self-talk is the cornerstone of a resilient mindset. It shapes your thoughts, emotions, and actions. By embracing positivity, you shift your perspective from limitations to possibilities. This mental reframing enhances creativity, problem-solving, and emotional regulation. When challenges arise, positive self-talk becomes your anchor, helping you bounce back stronger. It's a daily practice that empowers individuals to navigate the complexities of life with optimism and strength, fostering lasting happiness and success.

Our self-talk has the power to change the chemicals released by the brain into our bodies. When we engage in positive self-talk, the neurotransmitters released will be the ones influencing positivity, feelings of happiness, and well-being. To give you an opposite example, simplifying the explanation, depression, in many cases, is the result of continuous negative self-talk and interpretations about events that happened in the past.

It is like unlocking the secret to inner strength. It's the language of resilience, where our thoughts shape our reality. By embracing affirming beliefs, we reframe challenges as opportunities and setbacks as stepping stones. This shift in perspective empowers us to navigate tough times with courage and determination.

The mind is a wonderful servant but a terrible master. Our brains work much like super-sophisticated computers. They will do what we ask them to do and put frequently repeated thoughts on autopilot. So you can decide to say "I'm a loser" or "I'm a winner" and your brain will accept either one and put it on repeat. Choose wisely! Your thoughts create your reality.

Combine positive self-talk with visualization. When facing a challenge, picture yourself succeeding and overcoming obstacles. This mental rehearsal can boost your confidence and provide a mental roadmap for achieving your goals.

To practice positive self-talk, follow these steps: 1. Identify negative thoughts: Recognize when you're thinking negatively about yourself. 2. Challenge negative thoughts: Ask if they're true, helpful, or kind. Replace with positive, realistic thoughts. 3. Use affirmations: Repeat positive statements about yourself, your goals, and your values. 4. Practice gratitude: Focus on what you have and appreciate it, shifting away from what you lack. 5. Use humor: Find humor in situations to lighten your mood and reduce stress. Incorporate these steps into your daily life to improve your self-talk.

The first lesson I had to learn was to regularly tell myself: STOP STOP this downward spiral of self-deprecating thoughts. STOP pushing my confidence down. STOP tearing myself apart. It's much more challenging to shift gears and move forward if you're still actively in reverse. STOP the negativity first. Only then can you work on making the good "stick."

I think most people are capable of great change. In four decades, I have witnessed amazing change and transformation when the strategies were simple. Any change is amplified when we have support in life. This may be family members. friends, colleagues, coaches or clinicians. All these venues have a common purpose and, hopefully, keeping it simple can benefit. When we make simple change complex it is hard to achieve.

Yoda clarified this by saying "Do, or do not, there is no try." When you are building something, say I am building something, not "I am trying to build something." Try actually implies you aren't sure, but if you weren't sure, you wouldn't have started. I have to teach this to my son worries about how he looks, because he beats himself up with his own words like never, can't, won't. I tell him, "you are doing the work to get in shape, and it will pay off." "your a smart kid, making a smart investment in yourself."

Embracing positive self-talk, particularly amid hardships, can serve as a crucial pillar in fortifying mental fortitude and ensuring a stable emotional state. Notably, it cultivates a psychological buffer that shields against the devastating impacts of adversity, facilitating quicker recovery from setbacks and challenges. Positive self-talk nurtures optimism, enabling individuals to visualize a hopeful future despite present tribulations, thereby fostering an environment conducive to solution-oriented thinking. Moreover, it assists in developing an adaptable mindset, enhancing one’s ability to navigate through various challenges by refocusing energy and attention towards constructive actions rather than dwelling on the negatives.

Positive self talk helps to reduce negativity, boost self-confidence, and help to overcome anxiety. There are situations in which even when you have motivators around you, their words will make no sense until you make up your mind to calm down and be happy. Self-talk yourself into the bright side of life and see how radiant you will become.

I firmly believe in the concept of being your own motivator. There will be challenging times when external encouragement may be scarce, and it's essential to cultivate a habit of speaking positively to oneself. These difficult moments should be seen as stepping stones to greater opportunities and platforms for personal growth.

Benefits of positive self-talk are numerous! 🌟 Enhanced Mental Health: It reduces self-doubt, anxiety, and depression, fostering a more positive outlook on life. Improved Self-Esteem: It bolsters self-worth, empowering you to pursue goals and dreams fearlessly. Stress Reduction: It lowers stress levels, leading to better emotional and physical well-being. Optimism: Positive self-talk cultivates an optimistic mindset, fueling motivation and productivity. Better Relationships: It promotes self-compassion, making you more empathetic and understanding in your interactions. Goal Achievement: It drives determination, helping you persevere until you achieve your objectives.

Positive self-talk is a superpower for personal growth. It's the mirror that reflects our strengths, a fountain of self-esteem, and a shield against self-doubt. It's the key to unlocking joy, serenity, and the fortitude to face life's challenges head-on. With positive self-talk, we rewrite the narrative of our lives, turning obstacles into stepping stones. It's a journey of self-discovery and empowerment.

Surround yourself with a positive & supportive environment. Limit your exposure to negative influences, whether they are people, news, or social media, to maintain a constructive mindset.

In my experience, you can remind yourself how many times you were able to make a comeback after a challenge. Ask yourself what made you keep going despite the odds versus what is making you want to give up now.

Here's an example of positive self-talk in action: Say, you made a mistake at work and are feeling demotivated. Negative Self-Talk: "I always mess up. I'm not good enough for this job." Positive Self-Talk: "I made a mistake, but it's an opportunity to learn and grow. I have the skills and determination to fix this. I will use this experience to improve and become even better at my job. I can do this. I can fix this." By adopting positive self-talk, you shift from self-criticism to self-empowerment, enabling personal and professional development.

It's always an INSIDE-OUT journey rather than a vice-versa.. It's always You vs You. When most of the energy gets wasted by being caged in this today's Dark Digital dungeon world it's important to sit with yourself. Spend time with yourself.Regroup and reorganise your thoughts. Start your day practising the Silence. Power of Silence and meditation helps to tap and channelise the underlying energy clear the mess and silence the wasteful sounds emanating from the head. The focus increases, the sight and the light increases for one to see the things more clearly. Count on your blessings what you have gained so far rather than begrudging for what you have not. Dissolve yourself in helping others and in the process you melt your problems.

The words we speak are seeds that create our reality so choose them wisely and intentionally. Make it a practice to use empowered words and speak in the positive. Drop “can’t,” “won’t work,” impossible,” and “I don’t know” from your vocabulary. Instead, declare you “CAN,” “It will work,” “It’s totally possible” and “I do know the way!” Closely monitor your mind for any limiting beliefs. Create a daily practice to dismantle the limitations and build better beliefs aligned with your truth. Make it a top priority to cultivate a mindset, belief system and vocabulary that fully supports you in every way, every day and you'll be able to handle anything that comes your way.

If you are struggling with negative self talk, abandon any nonsense of positive self talk. Don't listen to the self help tweeters. Don't add 'not being able to do positive self talk' to your list of anxieties. You are not broken. Try telling someone with PTSD, Anxiety, Trauma or a health condition to try positive self-talk and make sure you are wearing a helmet. Instead, try anything that can lower the physical aspects of the challenge. Prioritise sleep, diet, social. Be kind to yourself physically and the kinder voice will follow. Consider journaling. An outlet for negative self-talk. If you are already hitting the ball so to speak, then fill your boots with positive self talk, you might then knock it out of the park! :)

Our mind controls our being. Ensuring you are happy and alive is your sole responsibility. Never put your happiness in the hands of anyone. Engage in positive self-talk to eliminate fear, nervousness, anxiety, and self-doubt.

I fail at positive self-talk. And find myself being usually overly harsh when talking to myself. What works for me is journaling. So instead of "self-talk", I opted for "self-write". By doing so, I can re-read what I have written. Gain some distance and with that, gain fresh perspectives.

Recognize that Resilience is different from Emotional Capacity. And while building and maintaining Resilience is vital to a happy life, it is processing and releasing feelings that increases our Emotional Capacity and gives us room to be with happiness, and delight, and contentment, and all the other emotions we want to feel. Resilience will help us have "cushion" and "bounce-back" from situations we find upsetting. But Emotional Capacity will help us have room to be with whatever feelings we have without "losing it", even in times we think of as rough. For healthy Emotional Balance, we need both Resilience and Capacity.

Be wary of toxic positivity. I have seen a lot of times people get into toxic positivity wherein they try to make everything positive to the extent of telling lies to themselves. We have to understand that things are not always positive and sometimes we all go through negative emotions. So instead of telling ourselves toxic positive juices, we need to tell ourselves better stories. We need to remind ourselves of the challenges we (or someone close to us) faced earlier, what we learned, and how we overcame them. This would give us the strength to not avoid negative situations but to tackle them with true life force.