Change How You Talk About Yourself To Boost Your Self Esteem

Have you ever caught yourself in the middle of a negative self-talk spiral? You know, those moments when you’re your own harshest critic? It’s time to break that cycle and start treating yourself with the kindness you deserve.

Notice the Negative

The first step in changing your self-talk is to simply notice it. Pay attention to those sneaky negative thoughts that creep in throughout your day. Maybe it’s that little voice that tells you you’re not good enough, or that you’ve failed at something. These thoughts can become so automatic that we don’t even realize they’re happening.

Stop It in Its Tracks

Once you’ve started to notice these negative thoughts, the next step is to stop them in their tracks. Imagine you're flipping a switch or pressing pause on a remote control. Interrupt that stream of negativity. You can even say “Stop!” out loud if it helps. This isn’t about ignoring problems or pretending everything is perfect; it’s about not letting those critical voices dominate your mental landscape.

Replace with Affirming Language

Now comes the fun part: replacing those negative thoughts with positive, affirming language. This doesn’t mean you have to go overboard with unrealistic positivity. Instead, aim for balanced and encouraging statements. For instance, instead of “I’m terrible at this,” try “I’m learning and improving every day.” Or swap “I’ll never get this right” with “I’m making progress, and it’s okay to take my time.”

Don’t Be Your Own Worst Enemy

We’re often kinder to our friends than we are to ourselves. Imagine if a friend came to you feeling down and you responded with the same harsh words you tell yourself. It’s likely you’d never do that, so why do it to yourself? Be your own best friend. Show yourself the same compassion and understanding you’d offer to someone you care about.

Practice Makes Perfect

Changing your self-talk isn’t something that happens overnight. It takes practice and patience. Start small, and be gentle with yourself as you make these changes. Over time, you’ll find that these positive affirmations become more natural and that your overall outlook on yourself improves.

Remember, you have the power to change the way you speak to yourself, and in doing so, change how you feel about yourself. You’re worth the effort!

The advice in this blog is not a substitute for professional counseling. 

OTHER THERAPY SERVICES WE OFFER IN HOUSTON, TX

In addition to Anxiety Treatment, Family Therapy, and Parenting Counseling, we have other mental health services that we offer at our Houston, TX counseling office. Our services are available for adults, children, and teens. For individuals we offer Eating Disorder Counseling, School and College Counseling, Autism Therapy,  Perinatal and Postpartum Treatment, and Infertility Counseling. As well as Couples Therapy and Marriage Counseling, Trauma Therapy, PTSD Treatment, EMDR Therapy, and LGBTQ+ Counseling. Our caring therapists also offer Career Counseling and LPC Supervision. All of these services are also available through Online Counseling throughout Texas.

Contact us at Wilson Counseling to find out more about our services or to schedule an appointment. You can find out more about Teen Counseling here. You don't have to go through this alone. We are in this together.