Self Talk to Calm Down
Learn how to use deep breathing and positive self-talk when you are upset.
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To calm yourself down, it’s essential to understand how to control your self-talk. Self-talk can be either positive or negative. Learn to monitor it, identify it and replace it with positive self-talk. Use these methods to calm yourself and prevent the negative self-talk from taking over. You will begin to notice a difference in yourself almost immediately.
Positive self-talk
One of the most effective ways to reduce anxiety is to use positive self-talk. You can use positive phrases or stories or use problem-solving techniques. For example, if you love math, you could think of problems and try to solve them in your head. If you enjoy poetry, you could read and recite some of it. Whatever you do, the key is to change your way of thinking.
Although it can be difficult to develop a more optimistic outlook overnight, practice makes perfect. With practice, you’ll learn to be less critical of yourself, which can help you cope with everyday stress more constructively. Those who are more optimistic may have better health than people who are pessimistic.
Compassion
There are many ways to calm yourself, and one of them is to practice self-compassion. This can be achieved through a variety of techniques. For example, by writing to yourself and nurturing your feelings, you can reduce stress and improve your physical health. Another method involves listening to your whole body. To do this, you can listen to your inner child by listening with your eyes, hands, and heart.
Self-compassion works by changing the way you respond to stressful situations. This can help you be more in the present moment. It can also help you be more clear-headed, as you will be free from negative thoughts and feelings.
Identifying negative self-talk
Identifying negative self-talk is an essential part of calming down. Negative self-talk is automatic and influences our feelings and mood. You can learn how to challenge negative thoughts by asking yourself if they are true or if there is another explanation. Often, our negative self-talk is exaggerated, so it’s important to understand that it is not necessarily true.
The negative self-talk we engage in makes us feel more stressed. It creates an experience of failure and a sense of limitation. Even worse, it can negatively affect our relationships. As a result, negative self-talk can lead to depression and anxiety.
Monitoring self-talk
One technique to calm down quickly is to watch your negative self-talk. You should be aware of your thoughts, and you should be able to change them. One way to change negative self-talk is to write down positive statements every day. Writing these statements will help you become more aware of what triggers you to think negatively.
Self-monitoring is a common therapy technique. Therapists teach clients to monitor their thoughts and actions. This is particularly useful when dealing with covert phenomena, which are those that cannot be observed by anyone except the client. Examples of these include negative automatic thoughts, body sensations, and self-harm.
Using belly breathing
Using belly breathing to calm down is a natural way to help reduce anxiety and stress. This breathing technique involves long conscious breaths, usually 3 to 5 seconds, that are in and out of the belly. This process activates the relaxation response, the opposite of the stress response known as the fight or flight response. It works by engaging the nervous system and relaxing the muscles in the belly.
Most people tend to breathe shallowly, which can cause them to become anxious and short of breath. But if you learn to use deep breathing to calm down, you will be able to induce a full breathing cycle, which will help your lungs receive the proper amount of oxygen. This technique is even used by politicians and other public figures to calm down under pressure.
Our Top FAQ's
Self talk is a way of using positive or neutral inner dialogue to manage our emotions and thoughts. It involves speaking to ourselves in a way that can help us feel more positive, confident, and calm. For example, if you are feeling anxious or stressed, you might use self talk to reassure yourself and calm your racing thoughts.
There are several ways you can use self talk to manage your emotions and stress levels:
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Identify negative or unhelpful self talk patterns, and try to replace them with more positive or neutral statements. For example, instead of saying “I can’t do this,” you could try saying “I’m doing my best and that’s all I can ask of myself.”
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Focus on the present moment and use self talk to bring yourself back to the present if you find yourself getting lost in negative thoughts about the past or future. For example, you could say to yourself “I am safe and okay in this moment.”
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Use self talk to acknowledge and validate your emotions, rather than trying to push them away or ignore them. For example, you might say to yourself “It’s okay to feel anxious right now, I’ll take some deep breaths and try to calm down.”
Some specific phrases or statements that can be helpful for calming down through self talk include:
- “I am in control of my thoughts and emotions.”
- “I can handle this.”
- “I am strong and capable.”
- “I am safe.”
- “I am doing my best.”
Yes, self talk can be used to address specific triggers or situations that cause anxiety or emotional distress. For example, if you tend to get anxious in social situations, you might use self talk to reassure yourself and help you stay calm. Some self talk phrases that might be helpful in this situation might include: “I am a likable and interesting person,” “I am confident and capable,” or “I can handle this situation.”
Self talk can be incorporated into a daily practice or routine in several ways:
- Set aside a few minutes each day to focus on your self talk and identify any negative or unhelpful thoughts or beliefs you may have.
- Practice replacing negative self talk with more positive or neutral statements.
- Use self talk as a tool to manage your emotions and stress levels throughout the day, for example by reminding yourself to stay present and focused in the moment or by acknowledging and validating your emotions as they come up.
- Consider incorporating relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing or progressive muscle relaxation, into your self talk practice to further help calm your mind and body.