I love the fresh energy and possibilities that the start of a new month brings. Now’s a special time to focus on what you want to create more of in your life – because you absolutely deserve the best it has to offer!
While many of us may have set resolutions for the New Year back in January, I’d like to think about a small but powerful mindset shift we can make now to feel good every day.
Do you ever find that you’re harder on yourself than you’d like to be?
If you’re like many women who find it easy to praise others but struggle with a harsh inner critic, then you may consider this one of your daily mantras:
Be kinder to myself.
Imagine how different it would be if you had an encouraging inner voice instead. A cheerleader that helps you trust yourself to do or be anything you want to be!
As role models to the children in our lives, we also owe it to them to be kinder to ourselves so they learn the importance of positive self-talk early on. This boosts their self-esteem and resilience so they grow into happy, independent adults.
So how do you turn the voice of the inner critic into your inner cheerleader?
Here’s 5 ways to Boost Positive Self-Talk that you can start practicing today!
- Record your own positive affirmations
Make a list of your strengths and all the positive character traits you like about yourself. If you have a hard time thinking of these, ask the people closest to you.
Turn this list into positive affirmations. Then record yourself stating these affirmations out loud – perhaps with soothing background music if you want. Play these to yourself in the morning when you’re getting ready.
- Wish yourself well every morning
This is a great morning routine to practice with your little one. Put your hand over your heart and sincerely wish yourself well.
Feel a sense of loving kindness for yourself just for being alive. Say to yourself “May I be well. May I be peaceful. May I be safe and happy. May I be kind to myself.”
This can help you carry a sense of loving-kindness towards yourself and others throughout the day. You can also find loving-kindness (also called “metta”) meditations on Youtube to make this practice easier.
- Step into your best friend’s shoes
When you find yourself saying that you don’t deserve something or can’t do something, think of your best friend.
Imagine what they would tell you if you shared these sentiments with them. Then tell yourself the same things you’d expect to hear from your best friend.
- Prepare to celebrate all your successes
When you acknowledge what you do right, you set yourself up for doing even more great things. Because the inner critic often wants to downplay your accomplishments, you need to get ahead of it by preparing to celebrate your success.
Make a list of five of your favorite activities and then do one of them when you complete something you’re proud of. Congratulate yourself as you celebrate even the smallest successes or complete to-do tasks.
- Turn mistakes into opportunities for gratitude
When you make a mistake, instead of beating yourself up, you can override the inner critic by becoming grateful. Recognize the courage you demonstrated by putting in the effort to do something hard.
See each “mistake” as an opportunity to do things differently next time. Remember, we’re all human. The learning process inevitably means that we won’t always get it right the first time – and this is completely ok!
The more you put these into practice in everyday life, the easier it will be to train your mind for the kind of loving self-talk you deserve so you can feel great every day!