Reduce Negative Inner Chatter

Sometimes I wake up to an inner chatter that won't stop. My remedy is going for a walk between "Rat Beach" and the Redondo Beach Pier. This distance seems to be the perfect length for the waves to drown out doubts within me and stoke a sense of inner peace.

Sinking my feet into the sand helps me feel grounded and aligned once again with my true self. 

Where we are at in life is a direct result of our self-talk, that inner chatter we carry around with us. Self-chatter is our inner dialogue, playing out in each of our heads, every single day.

Choosing to become more aware of this allows us to squelch the negative self-chatter and replace it with positive, empowering self-talk. We must be aware of our choice of words. It's very important. 

Ever wake up with a conversation buzzing inside your head that goes something like this: “I'm so furious with myself for being late AGAIN for work. I am always running behind. I am terrible with time management. ... I need to lose more weight to feel good about myself. I can't believe I ate that huge dinner last night. What was I thinking?”

This is just the first part of your day. Imagine how the rest of your day will go. 

How aware of our own self-talk are we? Accepting the fact that we are having these negative inner dialogues leads to asking if we are willing to make a change.

What good does it do to continually criticize yourself? Would you allow a stranger to talk like this to you? What about your self-esteem?

Changing your negative words into more positive, empowering phrases will take some discipline, but if you really want to make this change and have the discipline, you can make it happen. Start putting a limit on the negative words you use.

Sometimes it’s easier said than done. Awareness is key. Forming new habits takes time.

Here's an incentive: We often treat others the way we treat ourselves. If we show ourselves more self-love, we often find the world loving us in return. Self-love is an ancient path toward peace.

Commit to an action plan. Each time you catch yourself having a negative conversation in your head, turn it around by rephrasing with more positive, empowering words. Start simple, using “when” instead of “if.”

Your self-esteem loves to hear “I am” statements. “I am successful.” “I am happy.” Avoid thinking, “I can't,” or “I won't.”

“I am” statements are stronger and manifest in your life faster than “I wish” or “I want” statements. Remove the thought: “I can't do this because...” Instead, ask yourself “What if I COULD do this...” Our words can be self-defeating or they can be self-motivating. Choose to use empowering words that uplift and inspire you.

Nancy Hovde is a holistic lifestyle and empowerment coach, author and blogger who lives in Redondo Beach.