Talking to ourselves - and learning to listen

We all speak to ourselves on a daily basis. Whether it’s out loud or an internal (or infernal) commentary, we all practice self-talk, and how we speak to ourselves can have a significant effect on our emotions and subsequent actions.

Some people’s self-talk is mostly about the future while, for others, it’s an internal dialogue about the past. Some self-talk is positive and upbeat, while other self-talk is harsh, critical, or defeatist. Self-talk can focus on other people, but, more often than not, it is about ourselves - and is often negative.

If you listen carefully, you’ll notice that your inner conversation reflects thoughts and emotions. Self-talk isn’t random. It exhibits patterns that repeat themselves. And everyone has their own characteristic self-talk that is uniquely theirs.

In The Science of Self Talk, mindfulness expert Ian Tuhovsky explains how we can rewrite the script when it comes to our internal communication. Through a series of simple exercises for use in daily life, you can understand your own self-talk in order to change the conversation.

This unique book covers:

• Constructive self-talk and dysfunctional self-talk - and knowing the difference
• The impact of negative self-talk
• Learned helplessness
• Positive self-talk - challenge or threat?
• The Pareto Principle which says that, for many events, roughly 80 percent of the effects come from 20 percent of the causes
• Creating the right circumstances for motivation
• Getting to know yourself
• Loving yourself - emotional intelligence
• Turning down the volume on your self-talk

Self-talk is a little like turning on the director’s commentary on a movie. You can simply watch the movie, or you can add in commentary about what’s happening in it - this is, in a nutshell, what most of us do in our daily lives. The Science of Self Talk can help you to rewrite the script of your movie and improve the way that you - and others - see yourself.