A big new year’s resolution for me was self-growth. 2020 was a rough year for all of us. I don’t know about you, but I need a little more TLC this year. I also wanted to see myself improve upon some of my more negative habits. One of my worst habits is negative self-talk. People always say that you are your own biggest critic and I am no exception to this. In fact, I have been especially cruel to myself in this past year. Yes, it’s normal to be a little self-critical, however it can have detrimental effects on your mental and emotional well-being in the long run. This year I decided I needed to take a step towards changing this bad habit and being a little more kind to myself.
I do this mainly through journaling and daily affirmations. I start each morning by staring myself dead in the eyes (in the mirror), and saying a few of these: “I radiate confidence and others respect me,” “I deserve love and I get it in abundance,” “I choose to be kind to myself and love myself unconditionally,” and finally: “I am enough.” When I first began doing these every morning I felt really corny, dumb and even a little embarassed, but it gets easier. I weirdly look forward to saying these to myself and the words no longer feel foreign to me. Actually, saying these things out loud to myself has definitely had a positive impact on me. My friends even say, “I don’t know what it is, but you just seem happier.” This change could definitely be from a couple of the other things I do, like working out more, meditating, and journaling, but I really do believe that a good majority of it is from positive self-talk.
Saying these daily affirmations has made me much more aware of my negative self-talk throughout the day, and I’m much better at catching myself and reversing the negativity. Negative self-talk has been a massive problem for me for years, so I’m glad that I’ve found something that has allowed me to grow more and improve my overall mental state. I highly recommend you find ones that feel right for you! Be kind to yourselves :)