Self-talk is a term we are all familiar with. That little voice in your head that usually stays on spin cycle most of the day, turning the same thoughts over and over – even sometimes while you try to sleep. What is the common theme of that voice? Is that voice someone you would like to hang out with?
There’s science and common sense that tells us the input to our brain and body has an affect on our next move. If you get a compliment from a stranger, you might decide to wear your hair like that again. If you get punched in the face, you might decide to fake dead – lol! If you feel safe in a conversation, you might decide to get some feelings off your chest. There is a lot to be said about the influences around us. Some say you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with. Who spends more time with you than that inner voice?
It is common to live on autopilot and let your thoughts carry you away. A study at Michigan State University suggests a person has 80,000 thoughts a day. Some sources say that women have more thoughts than men within that average. MSU, in advocacy for mindfulness, also published that 90% of the 80,000 thoughts (72,000) were a previous thought (remember the spin cycle analogy). Furthermore, 80% of those thoughts (57,600) were negative. It’s easy to see how Stinkin’ Thinkin’ can wreck your mood!! If you get 8 hours of sleep per night, that estimates you have 60 negative thoughts per minute – one EVERY SECOND!
We’ve discussed in Kids & Stimulus that each input is filtered to determine if you are safe or not. It gets clearer from this perspective why most adults feel exhausted, frustrated, and even victimized. Your own thoughts have taken you hostage.
How does this relate to chiropractic?? It’s everything! When the sympathetic nervous system is driving and your negative self-talk jumps in the passenger seat your BODY is the hostage! Tight muscles, back pain, headaches, constipation, sleeplessness, slow recovery, sugar cravings, limited range of motion, poor circulation, frequent illness – these are all ways, among others, that your body pays the consequence of negative self-talk.
Like all things God created, there is GOOD built into this same system!!! You can challenge your self-talk and take it from negative to positive! You can reverse the self-induced stress! Your body is self-healing and self-regulating. When you put God in the driver seat and positive self-talk in the passenger seat, you will enjoy the ride of your life 😊
5 Steps to Help You Invite Positive Self-Talk
- Affirm yourself: I exhale fear. I inhale peace. (insert your own words that YOU need). You can also search for affirmations that you feel congruent with to share with yourself.
- Be a Dream Catcher for negativity: just like dream catchers intercept bad dreams, you can intercept negative self-talk. Once it is intercepted, redirect your thoughts. It is helpful to redirect them in a positive way. Check out Monique’s work at Rise Regardless.
- Thought dump: give those negative thoughts an EXIT – write them in a journal – trash or burn them to help you release your hold on them.
- Think of your thoughts like a balance scale. If you load the negative side (thoughts get away from you) then invest in yourself by loading the positive side. Obviously you want the scale to be loaded in your favor, so don’t hesitate to work when there’s technically “balance.”
- Dedicate 10-20 minutes per day in a “word search.” Think or journal words that you want to invite into your life (think of what you might be deficient in). This is also a way to have those words in your “easy access” file in your brain so when your thoughts get floaty the positive words can get put it in the playlist more readily than the negative ones.
We are cheering for you as you take on loving you!!! As simple as these concepts seem, they will change your mind and body! Add one or two steps to your goals for next month! It only takes 21 days to make a habit!
In Love and Service,
Taryn Lowery, DC
Peace of Life Chiropractic 