drtbear1967
Musclechemistry Board Certified Member
Self talk: That little voice inside your head – you know it. That's the constant internal monologue that makes appraisals, passes judgments, and makes recommendations about what to do next. These thoughts and meta-cognitions are central to what make us human. Our self-talk helps us to function at work, in relationships, and in our daily lives. But sometimes (or often) self-talk can become overly-negative and critical, and can get in the way of performance, not to mention enjoyment.
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One of the most common topics I speak on with athletes, executives, and lifters is the damaging effects of negative self-talk and how to correct it. Here are some common examples of negativity:
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• Black or White Thinking: Thinking only in extremes (all-or-nothing) thinking.
• Arbitrary Inference: Generalizing one negative comment or experience to be representative of everything in your life.
• Mental Reading: Presuming you know what others are thinking.
• Catastrophizing: Thinking that the absolute worst thing that can happen, will happen.
• Emotional Reasoning: Presuming that feelings are facts.
• "Shoulds": Focusing on how things "should" have gone down, as opposed to how they actually are.
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Any of these thought patterns sound familiar? Also known as cognitive distortions, these styles of thinking often lead to discouragement, frustration, anger, sadness, and a slew of other negative emotions. When you're discouraged and thinking negatively, you're less likely to take a risk, push yourself hard, or persist with a challenging goal. Recognizing your own tendencies to think negatively is the first step. Once you've identified some problematic thinking, consider the impact those thoughts have on your own feelings, and then in turn your emotions' impact on your behaviors.
.
One of the most common topics I speak on with athletes, executives, and lifters is the damaging effects of negative self-talk and how to correct it. Here are some common examples of negativity:
.
• Black or White Thinking: Thinking only in extremes (all-or-nothing) thinking.
• Arbitrary Inference: Generalizing one negative comment or experience to be representative of everything in your life.
• Mental Reading: Presuming you know what others are thinking.
• Catastrophizing: Thinking that the absolute worst thing that can happen, will happen.
• Emotional Reasoning: Presuming that feelings are facts.
• "Shoulds": Focusing on how things "should" have gone down, as opposed to how they actually are.
.
Any of these thought patterns sound familiar? Also known as cognitive distortions, these styles of thinking often lead to discouragement, frustration, anger, sadness, and a slew of other negative emotions. When you're discouraged and thinking negatively, you're less likely to take a risk, push yourself hard, or persist with a challenging goal. Recognizing your own tendencies to think negatively is the first step. Once you've identified some problematic thinking, consider the impact those thoughts have on your own feelings, and then in turn your emotions' impact on your behaviors.
