3 Reasons Why Positive Self-Talk and Compassion Matter
We all talk to ourselves throughout the day, telling ourselves things like “You are going to crush this presentation,” “I’m so stupid,” or “I can’t believe I ate so much chocolate — I have no self-control!” This inner-dialogue that we engage in is called self-talk. You might think the idea of reframing self-talk in a positive way is just a matter of semantics and doesn’t really matter, but in reality practicing positive self-talk offers many benefits that are supported by academic literature. Here are 3 reasons to practice positive self-talk:
Helps regulate negative emotions
Positive self-talk is an important part of a health mental and emotion practice. In fact, positive self-talk is a foundational principle in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), a well-supported form of treatment of mental illnesses such as anxiety and depression that aims to combat mental illness by changing the maladaptive thought processes and behaviors of the individual. Positive self-talk can help the speaker to practice self-distancing, a healthier alternative to ruminating, or dwelling on causes, consequences, and factors of a negative emotional experience. Self-distancing enables the speaker to exert self-control and have greater perspective on mistakes without making negative judgments. Additionally, self-compassion (being kind to yourself, soothing yourself during times of adversity), is associated with increased quality of life, higher levels of mental well-being, and improved interpersonal interactions.
Activates the parasympathetic “rest and digest,” nervous system
In addition to the benefits positive self-talk offers to mental health, positive self-talk also has positive influence on your physical health! In a recent study, the experimental groups who were prompted to engage in positive self-talk showed reduced heart rate and increased heart rate variability, two measures of parasympathetic system activation (the opposite of sympathetic or “fight or flight,” nervous system). This is associated with many health benefits, such as decreased blood pressure and improved mood!
Enhances performance and facilitates learning
If health reasons are not enough of a reason to practice positive self talk, A 2011 meta-analysis of the literature shows there is ample evidence of the power of positive self-talk to improve performance and facilitate learning. For example, in a study participants who were prompted to engage in positive self-talk before throwing 15 darts performed significantly better than those who engaged in negative self-talk, and those who did not self-talk at all! Several other studies have demonstrated taking the time to encourage and coach yourself in a positive way improves performance and helps you to learn more efficiently! We hope these three reasons have persuaded you to be more gentle, kind, and positive with your self-talk. It really does make a difference!