Ladies, let’s face it: We are often our own worst critics. We spend more time beating ourselves down than raising ourselves up, and it needs to stop! By now, we’ve all heard about self-care and the many benefits of “me” time.
We know self-care is not selfish or indulgent, but instead, it’s an effort to replenish and restore balance in our lives. Both men and women spend a great deal of time tending to the needs of others.
Of the two, though, women are typically the more nurturing and emotional creatures. This is why it’s especially important for women 50 and beyond to prioritize self-care boosters in the form of positive self-talk.
Benefits of Positive Self-Talk
Negativity begets negativity, which would also mean that positivity brings more positivity. It’s hard to be around people who are negative all the time. It deflates your sense of self-confidence and brings the mood down. Positive self-talk is the polar opposite, quite literally.
Let’s look at just a few of the awesome benefits associated with positive self-talk.
– Stress Reduction
Negative Nancy is a worry wart, spending her precious time and energy on what might happen in life instead of enjoying it. Positive Patty takes things as they come, talks herself through the challenges she faces with positivity, and knows she has the strength and the ability to handle whatever comes. It’s a waste of time to stress and worry about things we cannot change.
When you adopt and emphasize the power of positive self-talk, worrying and stress take a back burner. It doesn’t mean you’ll always be stress-free, but it certainly changes your thought process when dealing with stressful times.
– Encouraging and strengthening motivation
Have you ever just sat on the couch and binge-watched a TV show so that you could avoid something you knew needed to be done? Procrastination is on the same side of the fence as negativity, and neither quality is going to help you get through your perfectly imperfect human life.
What happens next? The situation creates more stress as deadlines approach, and it starts to spill over and negatively affect your heart, mind, and spirit. Notice that when positive self-talk is the dialogue of choice, big and little tasks get done because you’re more motivated.
You can encourage and boost your energy and commitment level so high that there’s nothing that can stop you from reaching your goals or at least getting as close as possible. It feels good. And when we feel good emotionally, we have more energy to stay on task.
We don’t let fear of failure dictate our lives; we are positive and motivated!
– Better and Stronger Relationships
This one is so incredible! When we learn to speak more positively to and about ourselves, it becomes a habit. The positivity oozes out and we are more inclined (and able) to be positive to others.
We are choosing different words and adding different energy TO those words, and this definitely helps relationships. Personal and professional relationships can all reap the rewards when positive self-talk is in play.
How is Positive Self-Talk a form of Self-Care?
Virtually anything you do for yourself with a positive outcome is self-care. Don’t go overboard or fall into a negative mindset around this. Keying your cheating ex-boyfriend’s car is not considered self-care, no matter how good you might feel in the moment.
Things that are nurturing and healing and don’t require you to hurt others or yourself are ideal self-care activities. Taking a relaxing bubble bath, giving yourself a facial, indulging in your favorite aromatherapy, booking full-body massages, etc., are all great ideas for self-care.
Positive self-talk fits the bill perfectly. It’s something we are doing for the good of ourselves; it brings our mood and energy up, creates a habit of positivity, and has a great ripple effect on other aspects of our lives.
That’s the whole point! We need to have balance so we can perform at our best in this life we are given. We get one body, one mind, and one spirit for an entire lifetime, so it’s a great idea to provide self-care intentionally!
Here are three easy ways to incorporate positive self-talk into your daily life:
Self-Talk Method 1: Positive Affirmations
Post positive affirmations on the fridge, on the bathroom mirror, in your office, or cubicle at work. Make sure you are surrounding yourself with positivity. “You are beautiful,” “You are more than strong enough to get through this day,” “You are a great mom,” etc. If that feels too personal for the office, use your favorite positive quotes instead.
Starting an affirmation practice doesn’t have to be hard or confusing – you don’t have to figure out how to make them work for you all on your own. Check out Affirmation Transformation – my self-study program to help you tap into the power of positive affirmations to change your mindset and life.
Self-Talk Method 2: Be Optimistic
Every single time you feel yourself slipping into a negative direction, gently pull yourself back to positivity. It’s probably going to feel challenging at first. There’s no getting around that part. We have trained ourselves to believe the lies and horribly negative things we say about ourselves. Undoing a lifetime of training is going to take time, and you are SO worth it!
Which also means we can train it to be positive, right? Don’t beat yourself up about how often you lose the positive vibe. Just keep pushing positivity, and eventually, it becomes a habit and the negative self-talk disappears altogether.
Self-Talk Method 3: Be Your Own Best Friend
When your bestie is going through a hard time, you probably refrain from negative words and try to lift her spirits. Do the same thing for yourself! Treat yourself like the special and unique person that you are!
There is only one you on this whole planet; unique, gorgeous, intelligent, resourceful, and filled with grace and love. Don’t hide all those incredible gifts and qualities from the world. Treat yourself the way you would your best friend, with love, compassion, and positive, uplifting words.
Start Now!
Positive self-talk is an excellent and easily accessible form of self-care for women. It’s free. It’s available to everyone, everywhere. It doesn’t take a lot of time. It’s incredibly beneficial. Take the steps necessary to practice and perfect positive self-talk. You won’t regret it!
