Stop the Self-Inflicted Verbal Abuse

Words can be the most destructive weapons on the planet. They start wars, end relationships and cause hurt beyond repair. People so callously hurl hurtful words at each other that cause long lasting damage. Undoing this damage can be long and hard work. Some people struggle with the damage. Some are able to overcome. Learning to chose our words thoughtfully and carefully towards others is a good creed to live by. And although we can start to learn how to choose our words carefully towards others, sometimes choosing the words carefully that we hurl at ourselves can be the most difficult change that we face. It is easier for humans to watch what they say to others versus what they say to themselves. We are more apt to hurl hurtful words that cause self-harm than to speak kindly and encouraging to ourselves.

There are many common phrases that many people use to hurt themselves every day. Phrases like "I'm so stupid" or "I can't" are used every day to bring people down. These are phrases harmful. These phrases hurt our self-esteem and the worst part is that we do it to ourselves. It then can become a habit and this habit can one of the hardest ones to break. We start living a harmful alternative reality that makes us believe that we are not worthy. We begin to believe the toxic things that we are feeding to our self-esteems and we start to live a mentally unhealthy lifestyle.

What is the solution? It seems easier said than done. But it is time to stop being mentally unhealthy and start living a healthy mental life. It's time to take a mental diet. Time to cut out all the junk words and phrases that we use to beat ourselves up. Cutting out the junk will help create a better mindset and a healthier mental lifestyle. Cut out the negative phrases that cause self-harm and replace them with words of self-encouragement and self-praise.

There are many ways to implement the practice of self-praise. Pick out certain positive phrases and words. Keep it simple and utilize phrases like "I can" or "I am worth it" in everyday mental interactions. Practice visualizing the words in your head. See these phrases in your mind and accompany them with a mental picture of your good and amazing qualities. Say these phrases out loud every morning to yourself. It will feel awkward at first but slowly over time, the words and phrases start to come easier to say out loud and they become ingrained in your mind. Write them down on post-it notes and place them on a mirror you look at during the day. It might sound cheesy but it does work.

These self-affirmations are key to living a healthy, thoughtful life. Being thoughtful in life isn't just for your interactions with others, it is also for your interaction with yourself. Be kind to yourself and remember, you are worth it.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The Holistic Approach to Grief

The Benefit of Removing Toxic People from your Life