Do You Talk to Yourself?

…hear me and answer me. My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught                           Psalm 55:2

Do you talk to yourself? I hope so. I know I do.

We are all beset at times by unwanted negative chatter. I call it that unwanted traveling partner that we know as anxiety. Negative self-talk can disrupt us, make us doubt ourself, catastrophize situations, and generally make us believe that our situation is hopeless at times.

We can often reassure ourselves by engaging that self-talk in a more helpful way. For example, talking to ourselves in the third person can distance the strong emotions that can be associated with expectations of doom. By talking to ourselves like another person might, the line of thinking can become more rational and less emotional and catastrophic.

Another question to ask ourselves, and one I ask clients is “How do you think you will feel in three weeks (or 6 months, or whatever timeframe might be more appropriate) when this crisis has subsided?” “How will it be when you come out on the other side of this?”

Our self-talk is often negative and critical- prone to look at the worst possible outcomes of things. Sometimes, it is indeed good to ask that question to ourselves “What is the worst thing that could happen?” Often we find that even the worst outcome is probably sustainable, and that we could manage to get through it, even if that worst thing actually happened.

So, talking to yourself is a really good idea, as long as you can find a loving way to treat yourself!

Prayer: Lord, help us to see ourselves the way you see us, Amen