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Positive Affirmations
It is difficult if not impossible to visualize excellent performance if your self talk is negative. The mind will believe what
you tell it. It is important to combine visualization exercises with positive affirmations. Poor performers and those with a
negative self image tend to be self depreciating. If you tell yourself you can not do something you will be very surprised
if you are successful and rightly so.
It can be very difficult to change negative self talk if this is part of your personality, part of who you are. Often when
people try to change they end up putting themselves down even more each time they catch themselves saying something
negative. For example, “I should have done better on that exam, I am so dumb sometimes. There I go criticizing myself
again, I’m such a loser”. Rather than trying to eliminate negative self talk, try and reduce it by practicing saying positive
things to yourself. This is not easy and often people will feel silly and phony using affirmations (i.e., Stuart Smalley from
SNL, “You're good enough, you're smart enough and gosh darn it people like you”). If someone has spent their whole life
listening to negative scripts, it is unlikely that they will immediately believe the positive statements they make. It takes
time and practice.
It is difficult if not impossible to visualize excellent performance if your self talk is negative. The mind will believe what
you tell it. It is important to combine visualization exercises with positive affirmations. Poor performers and those with a
negative self image tend to be self depreciating. If you tell yourself you can not do something you will be very surprised
if you are successful and rightly so.
It can be very difficult to change negative self talk if this is part of your personality, part of who you are. Often when
people try to change they end up putting themselves down even more each time they catch themselves saying something
negative. For example, “I should have done better on that exam, I am so dumb sometimes. There I go criticizing myself
again, I’m such a loser”. Rather than trying to eliminate negative self talk, try and reduce it by practicing saying positive
things to yourself. This is not easy and often people will feel silly and phony using affirmations (i.e., Stuart Smalley from
SNL, “You're good enough, you're smart enough and gosh darn it people like you”). If someone has spent their whole life
listening to negative scripts, it is unlikely that they will immediately believe the positive statements they make. It takes
time and practice.