Stop Talking Shit

Welcome to Tuesday’s Tips, the one-day a week when I dispense useful, actionable and empowering tips!

You have a habit that you may not be aware of. How you engage in this habit is a predictor of your happiness, your success and whether or not you suffer from anxiety or depression. It’s called self-talk and we all do it.

Most of us are unaware of how we talk to ourselves. If that’s the case for you, chances are your self-talk is negative, and since it’s on loop in your mind all day long, it’s the greatest influencer in your life. That’s right – even more so than your happiness in your primary relationships.

And now for the good news: It’s within your reach to control what you say to yourself. Follow these steps for a week and see if you’re feeling better about your life. If you are, repeat the steps next week. And the following week. And the following. Until you’re certain that your self-talk coincides with the type of life that you want to live.

1. Identify 3-5 statements that would be useful for you to hear throughout your day. Here are mine: “You’re doing great,” “Trust your gut – it’s always right,” “You’ve got this, Darcy,” “One step at a time – keep your eye on what’s right in front of you.”

2. Set your phone alarm to go off 5 times a day at various times of the day.

3.  Enter these statements into a note or memo on your phone – or write them down & take a photo of them and make that your wallpaper on your phone.

4. Each time your alarm goes off, read these statements to yourself slowly, using a calm and nurturing voice.

5.  For most people it will take 30 days for this to become a habit. Seems like a small enough commitment for the enormous ROI, doesn’t it? Happy Tuesday.