Everyone has a negative voice inside their head. For some, the voice comes and goes a lot. Steve Andreas writes in his book Transforming Negative Self-Talk, “An internal voice may remind us of past failures, sorrows, or disappointments, torture us with criticism or verbal abuse, paint a scary or unpleasant picture of the future, or bother us in other ways.”
This article tells you How to Challenge Your Inner Negative Voice and take control of your feelings and thoughts. Taking on the role of the Observer and figuring out where your negative thoughts are coming from and whether they are true can help you take responsibility for your actions.
Recognising negative self-talk requires knowing yourself and being aware of bad habits.Change the way you think about things and push your inner critic. Test your negative thoughts and replace them with ones that are more positive or balanced. Also, pay attention to your breath and practise mindfulness. Think about the good things in your life, be kind to yourself, and say sorry for your mistakes. Write down your thoughts in a journal and do exercises to help your mind change the way it works. Stress relief and building trust are two things that meditation can help with. Apps have made the process easier.
How to Find Your Inner Voice
What people are they talking to you in your head? Instead of accepting or rejecting all messages right away, I want you to become The Observer, figure out where that thought comes from, and check to see if it helps you right now. Those messages may have been useful in the past, but they are not useful now. As you allow yourself to listen to your inner voice with interest, ask yourself these three things:
The first thing you need to do to find your inner voice is to block out the outside world and focus on your true desires and intuition. The following is a summary:
- Find a quiet place to be, put your phone on silent, or try something new.
- Stop the noise around you and figure out which voices might be drowning out your inner guidance. This could be because of criticism you’ve received in the past, societal expectations, or even your own inner critic.
- Your physical appearance often speaks volumes. Pay attention to how your body is feeling: a flutter of excitement, a tightening in the chest. These could be signs from your gut.
- Write without any bias. This “brain dump” can help you find these worries and hidden wants. After reading the entries again, look for patterns.
- Make sure you ask yourself important things. One good question to start with is, “What truly brings me joy?” “What feels right here?”
- Practice Self-compassion means being kind to your inner voice, even if it doesn’t agree with social norms.
- Do what your gut tells you and start small. Don’t be afraid to say “no” or take a chance. You can strengthen your faith in your intuition by recognising these small wins.
Based on this inner voice, what story and action do I want to make up?
As you change certain parts of your inner voice, you get to pick your authentic story—how you tell yourself and others the truth. This will help you bring good things into your life and keep you motivated. It will be easier to do things that help you live your new, best life. Thoughts make things happen. Doing good things makes you think more positively. Being in tune with this life cycle is good for us.
Being active every day makes it easier to hear that inner voice. “
Quote from Haruki Murakami.
If you want to stay focused on what’s important to YOU when you’re having a bad day, use these self-leadership strategies. Giving yourself time to learn how to find YOUR inner voice and then trust it will take work, so be kind to yourself.
To understand more about the inner critic or self negative talk, watch the Ted’s Talk by Cheryl Strauss Einhorn, an author, professor, and scholar. She has laid out a specific way to check what your inner voice tells you that is so easy that anyone can use it right away.
How to Challenge Your Inner Negative Voice
Aware of the negative self-talk:
To learn how to be less negative, you must first become more self-aware and recognize your bad habits. At first, you might not know when your bad feelings take over, so this is a very important first step.
Think about the ways you think and try to figure out what your negative inner dialogue is. Please write down the situations and triggers that make it happen. They can help you see patterns and get ready to deal with low self-esteem in a healthy way when you write them down in a journal.
Questioning can help you restructure your thoughts:
Take a look at your inner critic. Put your negative thoughts on display instead of letting them run wild. Ask them things like, “Is this belief based in reality, or is it just my imagination?” or “What would I tell a friend who is having the same thought?” By doing this, you can break down those negative stories and replace them with a more nuanced point of view.
How to Practice it:
You need to be aware of a negative thought before you can change it. First, pay attention to what you’re telling yourself when you’re feeling anxious. Then, use this method:
Put the idea to the test: Ask yourself if the negative things you say to yourself are true. Is this thought based on facts or on how you feel?
Change the way you think: Change the negative thought to one that is more balanced or positive. “I can’t do this anymore!” should be changed to “I’ll try again tomorrow.”
Use techniques for mindfulness and relaxation: To get away from anxious thoughts, do exercises like deep breathing and grounding.
Try to talk positively to yourself.
Change your negative thoughts into positive ones as part of your work to become more self-aware. This means remembering the good things that happened, recognizing your skills and positive personality traits, and looking for the positive truth.
If a work meeting doesn’t go well, write down the good and bad things you think about it. Pay attention to what went well and think about how you can turn possible mistakes into chances to learn. Over time, negative thoughts will stop holding you back and start to help you grow.
Write your Thoughts in a Journal:
Writing in a journal every day can help you figure out what makes you talk badly to yourself by using your mind as a detective’s notebook. You can better come up with ways to deal with triggers and patterns once you know what they are.
How to Practice it :
In a journal, write down your feelings and thoughts. Then, use our cognitive restructuring technique to help you work through your emotions and question your thoughts.
Try Meditation:
I’ll be honest: my sense of self-worth fell after a lot of bad things happened in my life. The pain I felt told me that I wasn’t deserving of care, safety, or choice when I thought about what had happened to me.
I decided to try meditation as a way to deal with trauma because a friend told me to. I wasn’t sure at first, but it helped me so much that I was shocked. I used the app Simple Habit to work through Catherine Cook-Cottone’s “Heal From Trauma” series. It helped me find affirmations I didn’t know I needed.
Cook-Cottone, for instance, talks about getting better “at the speed of trust.” This framework helped me be more patient with myself since I’ve always been impatient with myself and wondered why I couldn’t just “get over” my past trauma. Trust is important for recovery, and a breach of trust often causes trauma.
When I became more aware of the negative thoughts I had about myself that came from my traumatic experiences, I was able to change the negative thoughts that my brain likes to play over and over again. I shouldn’t be so surprised, though, because meditation has many benefits for both physical and mental health. The process is now easier than ever because there are many apps to pick from.
How to Practice it:
To practice, you can do a lot of different things, such as meditation, breath work, guided imagery, mindful eating, mindful walking, and more.
Use affirmations that are good for you.
Positive affirmations can help you change negative thoughts into positive, uplifting ones. When you have a bad idea, try to think of a good one that goes with it. Change “People don’t like hanging out with me” to “I’m a valuable friend.”
Positive affirmations uniquely work for each person. If you want to make them a part of your daily routine, say them to yourself in the mirror, write them down in a journal, or put them all over your workspace. Seeing them often will help you remember how valuable you are.
How to Practice it:
Make a list of positive statements like “I am capable” or “I am worthy,” and say them over and over to yourself, especially when you notice that you are talking badly to yourself.
Practice Self-Compassion:
Allow yourself some leeway. For a good friend, you’d be all ears and ready to listen, right? Kindness and patience should also be shown to yourself. Accept the flaws you have.
How to Practice it:
Use self-compassion techniques, such as talking positively to yourself or making soothing movements to yourself.
Start practicing gratitude:
Taking stock of the good things in your life can help you stop thinking about the bad stuff. Writing things down in a simple gratitude journal can indeedIt’s make a big difference. To get better, write down three things you’re thankful for every night.
Fill your day with good things or With Positivity:
It’s simple to get lost in the daily grind when you have a lot of things to do. Plan small moments of happiness and make an effort to reward yourself. A fun podcast, a playlist that makes you want to dance, or reading a book of inspiring quotes are all small things that can make your day a little better.
Take a break from social media:
These sites let you connect with people, including friends, family, and people all over the world. But it can also make you feel more anxious and alone, hurt your self-image, and lead you to compare yourself to others.
If your time spent on social media isn’t helping you, try a digital detox to take breaks. Start by keeping track of what you’re using now to find habits and problem areas. After that, you can change your schedule by adding social media blockers, trying automatic quiet mode, or setting aside time to focus. Instead, put your energy into things that make you happy, like doing something you love or spending time with family.
Celebrate all your wins:
Take a moment to recognize what you’ve done well, like crossing something off your list or changing a bad thought into a good one. You might be surprised at how many good things you get done in a day. Honoring and celebrating them can give you the drive to take on bigger challenges with a better attitude.
Focus on the Present or live in the present day:
When we think negatively, we often think about mistakes we made in the past or worries we have about the future. Mindfulness techniques, meditation, and writing in a journal on a regular basis can help you be more present and see the good in things. Over time, focusing on the present moment can help you face problems with a clear mind instead of dwelling on fears and regrets. Please choose a method that works for you and do it regularly. Making it a daily habit to do something like mindful breathing or writing in a manifestation journal can set the tone for the rest of the day.
Seek help from a professional:
Sometimes, people who have persistently bad thoughts may need professional help. A psychologist or therapist can help you figure out how to understand better and control the way you think.
How to Practice:
Suppose your negative thoughts about yourself have a big effect on your health. In that case, you might want to get help from a qualified mental health professional.
You can have a healthier, more positive relationship with yourself if you take steps to silence your inner critic and change the way you think. You can stop talking badly to yourself and feel more confident and in control if you practice.
Conclusion:
This article explains how to take charge of your thoughts and emotions and confront that inner critic. It implies that you can take accountability for your actions by adopting the role of the Observer, figuring out where your negative thoughts are coming from, and determining whether or not they are true. You can make good changes in your life and maintain your motivation by concentrating on your true story and deeds. The significance of taking initiative and paying attention to your inner voice is also emphasized in the article. By doing this, you can get rid of the negative ideas that might be stressing, worrying, or depressing you and develop a positive outlook.
Acknowledging negative self-talk requires self-awareness and the recognition of unhealthy habits. To spot trends, record negative ideas and triggers in a journal. Reframe your ideas and challenge your inner critic. Try testing your negative thoughts, replacing them with more uplifting or balanced ones, and practice mindfulness and deep breathing. Remind yourself of the good things in life, speak well to yourself, and take responsibility for your mistakes. Keep a journal of your ideas and engage in cognitive restructuring exercises. Recovering from trauma and establishing trust are two things that meditation can help with. The process is now simpler thanks to apps.
FAQs
How can I silence my inner critic?
If so, you may find it helpful to use the following four-step process to stop your continuous negative self-talk.
Step 1: Learn to be conscious of your thoughts.
Step 2: When you become aware of your inner critic, stop yourself.
Step 3: Switch out negative discourse with constructive ones.
Step 4: Rehearse and get better.
What is the best way to silence my inner critic?
Frequent meditation can also assist in controlling a critical inner monologue. A meditation practitioner can help you develop more balance in your thought patterns and learn to reject unhelpful, negative thoughts. Additionally helpful is journaling your feelings.
Why is the voice in my head so negative?
As we begin to watch and learn from those around us, early experiences that are absorbed into our thoughts and feelings about ourselves can also be the source of the inner critical voice. It originates from a range of early influences, including peers, parents, teachers, siblings, and caregivers.
Matt Santi is an inspiring personal growth and development leader. With over 15 years of experience in business management, HR, and operations, Matt’s career has shaped his passion for guiding individuals on their journey of self-improvement.
As an Eagle Scout, Matt’s dedication to service and community drives his commitment to helping others reach their full potential. He is a self-described personal development enthusiast, always eager to learn and grow from new experiences. Matt’s unique perspective and positive outlook on life influence his approach to writing and coaching others.
Matt’s writing on personal growth and development topics with a straightforward and actionable approach provides readers with practical tools and strategies to help them discover their strengths and abilities. His energy and expertise make him a valuable asset to anyone looking to cultivate a more fulfilling and purposeful life.
