Many people suffer from a critical inner voice. You know, the one that pops up telling you things like ‘you’re not good enough’ or ‘nobody really likes you’.
At Ldn Dares, when conducting our body confidence coaching sessions we refer to this critical voice as the ‘Gremlin Voice’. You may have come across this concept before - in psychology this same voice is known as the 'punitive parent voice' or our 'inner critic'.
When you have an unhelpful thought you have the ability to disprove this and choose a different perspective. So we’ve collated our 5 tips for dealing with negative thoughts and wanted to share them with you. Take these steps and write it down on a piece of paper to take out and about with you if you want a reminder.
STOP IT!
As soon as you are aware of the thought (or the behaviour, old pattern, or any negative thinking for that matter) immediately disengage from it. Stop. Get out your (imaginary) remote and press 'pause'. Imagine you are playing a game of statues and freeze at that moment of time.
OBSERVE, CHALLENGE & DISPUTE IT!
Observe how you are feeling and what is happening right now. Focus on where your body is tense or contracted. Evaluate the thoughts that are filling your mind. Challenge the thoughts by asking questions such as:
Is this really true?
What makes me believe this is true?
What is the evidence for this being true?
What is the most loving thing I can do for myself right now
How would I feel if I didn't believe this thought or story?
MOVE IT!
Move your body, change your posture, breathe deeply. Just move. Allow your energy to flow and circulate.
WRITE IT!
Writing down your thoughts and feelings is a great way to express and connect and communicate with who you are.
LAUGH AT IT!
Step back and try to find the humour in what is happening. Laughter completely reverses any negative situation. You cannot be stressed or anxious when you are laughing.
Next time you feel your Gremlin Voice creeping up on you, give these a try and see if you notice a difference.