I recently came across a technique to inhibit / overcome negative self talk that I want to share with you. (drum roll please) the Iffirmation Like an affirmation but different!
With an affirmation (or power statement or mantra) you create a statement of intention, "I am" "I will be" etc. Examples I have worked on with my clients include affirmations such as, "I am confident and strong" or "I will be calm when challenged and listen to understand." Affirmations are tools to use to over write negative self talk and create a different, more positive, inner narrative. They can also feel like they are forced or untrue.
The iffirmation takes you a step further by asking a question instead of making a statement. "What if I am calm when challenged?", "What if I am confident and strong?" And for me the beauty of going from statement to question is one of possibility and growth.
With a statement the behavior or state is fixed, with the question, one's curiosity is engaged, leading to more questions and often many possibilities become apparent. "What if I am confident and strong?" opens up vistas of career growth, promotion, better relationships, deeper satisfaction.
So, what if you tried an iffirmation today?