Self Talk

09 Mar Self Talk

It’s March everybody! I can’t believe that we’re this far into the year, so I think a pause and reflection is in order. Today, let’s take a moment to honestly evaluate the quality of our self-talk.

The definition of self-talk is, well, pretty self-explanatory, however it’s ironic that the simple idea of how we talk to ourselves can become a challenging barrier in our overall personal health and also in achieving our health and wellness goals. 

Psychology Today defines self-talk as, 

Many people are conscious of an inner voice that provides a running monologue on their lives throughout the day. This inner voice, or self-talk, combining conscious thoughts and unconscious beliefs and biases, provides a way for the brain to interpret and process daily experiences.

Unfortunately, for many of us, self-talk regarding our nutrition and exercise habits can be discouraging. Whether our inner voice was shaped from childhood or today’s diet culture, keeping close attention to the monologue in our life as it relates to the food we eat or when we do or don’t exercise is essential for our overall health and even perspective of what’s healthy.

This short read from the Seattle Times sheds light on common self-talk downfalls and a practical guide to shaping our inner voice into a healthier and more positive light.

So let us pause and self-reflect using a simple scale of 1-5. A rating of one means, “needs a lot of improvement” and a rating of five means, “couldn’t be better.” 

Today’s question. If I’m honest with myself, how do I rate the quality of my self-talk? 

You can keep it general and assess the overall voice in all areas of your life or choose to break your rating down into your self-talk regarding your role and the status of certain areas of your life. 

Here are a few areas to read aloud and listen to your initial thoughts and the repetitive themes of your self-talk. How do you feel you are doing on a scale of 1-5 in regards to each of these?

• An employee/leader
• A spouse
• A parent
• A friend
• My financial health
• My health and wellness
• My diet habits
• My fitness habits
• My mental health
• My personal or professional growth

We hope this was a helpful practice for you. Let’s be intentional and kind to ourselves during this new month!

WEEKLY RECIPES

By Victoria Emmitt RD