{"id":7093,"date":"2025-06-30T13:06:26","date_gmt":"2025-06-30T20:06:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/safecarebc.ca\/?post_type=safetytopic&p=7093"},"modified":"2026-04-09T15:23:37","modified_gmt":"2026-04-09T22:23:37","slug":"self-talk","status":"publish","type":"safetytopic","link":"https:\/\/scbcdev.safecarebc.ca\/?safetytopic=self-talk","title":{"rendered":"Self-talk"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Do you talk to yourself the way you\u2019d talk to a friend?<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We spend a lot of time thinking about how we talk to others. But how often do we notice how we talk to ourselves?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Self-talk<\/strong> is the inner dialogue we have with ourselves. Sometimes it\u2019s kind, supportive, and encouraging. Other times, it can be critical, harsh, and downright mean.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Imagine this: You make a mistake at work. One voice in your head says, \u201cI\u2019m such an idiot\u2014I always mess things up.\u201d<\/em>
But another voice could say, \u201cThat was a tough moment, but I handled it the best I could. I\u2019ll learn from this.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which voice are you listening to? That inner voice shapes how you see yourself, especially in difficult moments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why does self-talk matter?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The way we speak to ourselves impacts our mood, confidence, and resilience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Negative self-talk can slowly chip away at our self-worth. It increases stress, fuels shame, and makes it harder to bounce back from challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we\u2019re kind to ourselves, we lower stress and activate calming responses in the body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You don\u2019t need to wait for someone else to encourage you. You can be your own best cheerleader.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How can I practice better self-talk?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • Strengthen your compassionate voice:<\/strong> Cultivate a kinder, more patient internal tone, one that supports you rather than tears you down.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Talk to yourself like you would talk to a friend:<\/strong> Offer yourself the same compassion you would give to others. Would you call a friend \u201clazy\u201d or \u201ca failure\u201d? Probably not. So why say it to yourself?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Be mindful of your inner dialogue<\/strong>: Notice when you shame yourself, downplay your wins, or use harsh labels.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Reframe with strength-based language<\/strong>: Talk to yourself in the same strength-based way you talk to others, highlighting your efforts, courage, growth, or values even when outcomes fall short.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Challenge the harsh voice<\/strong>: When harsh self-talk arises, ask: is that true? Is it helpful? Would I say this to someone I care about?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    What are some ways I can put this into practice?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
      \n
    • Journal with intention: <\/strong>Spend a few minutes each day writing about your strengths, efforts, or what you like about yourself. Pair it with a gratitude practice to shift your mindset.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Write and rebut exercise: <\/strong>Write down a negative thought (e.g., \u201cI always screw up.\u201d). Then write two to three true<\/em> rebuttals (e.g., \u201cI handled the situation well yesterday.\u201d)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Keep affirmations visible: <\/strong>Sticky notes, phone screens, mirror reminders\u2014anywhere you\u2019ll see them.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Do mindful check-ins: <\/strong>Pick a time in your day (after lunch, before bed, during breaks) to ask: \u201cHow am I speaking to myself right now?\u201d<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Reframe one thought a day: <\/strong>Catch one critical thought and turn it around. From: \u201cI\u2019m not cut out for this.\u201d <\/em>To: \u201cThis is hard, but I\u2019ve done hard things before.\u201d<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

      <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      Self-talk is the inner dialogue that shapes how we see ourselves, especially in moments of stress or challenge.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":7097,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","tags":[336],"audience":[367],"topic-type":[397],"topic":[208,97,371],"class_list":["post-7093","safetytopic","type-safetytopic","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-self-care","audience-audience-8","topic-psychological-self-care","topic-self-care","topic-self-talk"],"acf":[],"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/scbcdev.safecarebc.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/safetytopic\/7093","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/scbcdev.safecarebc.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/safetytopic"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/scbcdev.safecarebc.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/safetytopic"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scbcdev.safecarebc.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/7097"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/scbcdev.safecarebc.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7093"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scbcdev.safecarebc.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7093"},{"taxonomy":"audience","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scbcdev.safecarebc.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Faudience&post=7093"},{"taxonomy":"topic-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scbcdev.safecarebc.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftopic-type&post=7093"},{"taxonomy":"topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scbcdev.safecarebc.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftopic&post=7093"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}