×
  • Search
    Generic filters
    Exact matches only
  • Your 1st Appointment
    • Make Appointment
    • Therapy & Counseling Facts
    • Therapy for All Ages
    • Paying for Services
  • Services
    • What We Treat
    • Inpatient Services
      • West Springs Psychiatric Hospital
      • Women’s Recovery Center
      • Circle Program
    • Outpatient Services
      • Aspen
      • Craig
      • Eagle
      • Frisco
      • Glenwood Springs
      • Granby
      • Grand Junction
      • Meeker
      • Rangely
      • Rifle
      • Steamboat Springs
      • Vail
      • Walden
    • Other Programs
      • Respite Services
      • Peer Support
      • Oasis Clubhouse
      • MAT
      • Supported Employment Service
  • Resources
    • Resources For Coping In Today’s World
      • Mental Health First Aid
      • Suicide Prevention
      • Talking With Others In Mental Distress
      • Coping Tips For Trauma & Distress
      • When Major Events Happen
      • Multiply Your Happy
      • Mental Health Care Kit
      • Resiliency Skills Training
      • Guided Meditations
    • Professional-Resources
      • Physician Referrals
      • General Referrals
      • Medication Assisted Therapy
      • Thought Leadership & Trainings
    • Understanding Mental Health Disorders
    • Understanding Drug & Alcohol Addiction
    • Forms & Documents
    • Client Advocacy
  • Careers
    • All Open Positions
    • Internships & Practicums
    • Benefits Package
  • About Us
    • Who We Are
      • Mind Springs Health FAQ
      • Board Of Directors
      • Our Psychiatric Team
      • Leadership Team
      • People & Locations
    • Partnerships
      • West Slope Casa
      • Zero Suicide
    • For The Media
    • Blogs & More
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy
  • GIVE
  • Search
    Generic filters
    Exact matches only

A Peer’s Perspective: The Importance of Positive Self-Talk

By Jill Davis

June 26, 2019Mental Health GeneralTools and Resources

Life can be full of moments that leave you wondering why you made the choices you made.

We are experts in second-guessing decisions and finding ourselves in a cycle of what-ifs.  Each day is chock-full of decisions. Some are seemingly insignificant, like what color shirt should I wear or what goes better with pork roast? Others bear more weight, such as what’s the best town to move to or who would make the best life partner? Even the most thought-out decisions can have outcomes that leave us with negative feelings about ourselves that lead to negative internal dialogues that then lead to negative beliefs about our capabilities to navigate even the smallest scenarios.

I remember this cycle all too well.

When I recall my life, I see what seems like an endless barrage of insults directed towards myself that kept me steeped in the narrative that I was a failure and not worthwhile. I truly believed even the smallest of mistakes, true or perceived, was evidence of my inability to do anything right. Each “failure” came with a self-lecture that kept me immersed in depression. Recalling times losing my temper thinking I was a terrible parent, or when I made poor relationship choices, the story I told myself then was that I didn’t deserve any better.

I finally learned I could change this, and it was so empowering!
These are the keys that I used to change that paradigm:

    1. Recognize negative self-talk early. It was easy to offer encouraging words to those I cared about and save the hurtful words for myself. Why were they accepted without question? Moreover, why did I offer them without hesitation? We are not any less important than those we offer caring words to. Let this truth in. You may have heard negativity from others throughout your life and adopted it as truth. Other’s opinions don’t make things true.
    2. Use statements of fact versus emotion. It is more helpful to say something like “That was a tough one and I got through it, I feel that I did my best under the circumstances”
    3. Know your strengths. We all have them even when they are not easy to recognize. Name two or three that you can see in yourself now.
    4. Talk with someone you trust. When you are seeing something one way, the insights of another can help you put things into perspective.

It’s alright if things don’t always end up the way you’d hoped or planned. Life happens. Not all choices made are the best ones, and not all are mistakes.  How we relate to ourselves impacts how we relate to our circumstances and vice versa. Mistakes are part of being human, they can be tools that move us forward or weapons used to keep ourselves feeling less than we really are.

Season your self-talk with grace and pepper your day with patience, you are more than worth it!

 

Jill Davis is Peer Services Coordinator for Mind Springs Health and uses her experience with a mental health diagnosis to help others.  She is based out of Grand Junction, CO and can be reached at JDavis@MindSpringsHealth.org or 970.639.3702

Featured Articles

  • Message from Doug Pattison: Response to media messages May 23

    Mind Springs Health appeared in the news frequently recently, following the release of a tri-agency audit conducted by the State of Colorado. All three efforts...

  • Doug Pattison’s Message Regarding Recent Articles Mar 24

    The need for behavioral health services is growing in Colorado, now more than ever. For all of us in this industry, we know that there...

  • Doctor says telehealth ‘not going anywhere’ Mar 15

    While virtual learning has certainly garnered no shortage of critics over the last two years, a similar but unrelated pandemic technology has received earnest praise....

Categories

  • Featured Articles (74)
  • In the News (55)
  • Mental Health General (56)
    • Depression and Anxiety (1)
    • Resiliency (5)
  • Substance Use Disorders (15)
    • Recovery Newsletters (10)
  • Suicide Awareness & Prvention (1)
  • Tools and Resources (31)
  • Uncategorized (1)
SEE ALL BLOG POSTS

HELPFUL LINKS

FORMS AND DOCUMENTS
MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES
TREATMENT LOCATIONS
CAREERS
EVENTS
FAQ
NEWSLETTER SIGNUP

LEGAL

CLIENT RIGHTS
HIPAA PRIVACY NOTICE
NOTICE OF NON-DISCRIMINATION
PRIORITY POPULATIONS
PRIVACY POLICY
TERMS OF USE
NEEDS ASSESSMENT

The Latest in Behavioral Health

  • Message from Doug Pattison: Response to media messages May 23

    Mind Springs Health appeared in the news frequently recently, following the release of a tri-agency audit conducted by the State...

  • Doug Pattison’s Message Regarding Recent Articles Mar 24

    The need for behavioral health services is growing in Colorado, now more than ever. For all of us in this...

  • Doctor says telehealth ‘not going anywhere’ Mar 15

    While virtual learning has certainly garnered no shortage of critics over the last two years, a similar but unrelated pandemic...

Site designed with ❤ by
©2022 Mind Springs Inc. All Rights Reserved