Encourage yourself!

It’s lovely to visit friends and family and catch up on what’s been happening.  However sometimes besties and whanau can be too full on with their own stuff to recognise that you might be needing a little encouragement … especially when you really need a cheerleader to pep yourself up.  

If they’re not around, and you don’t have a cheerleader, what happens?  If you’re like me, sometimes the hamster in your head can get hold of an incorrect belief or assumption (translation = idea), and run a marathon with it, in the most unhelpful way!!  Latesha in her book ‘The To-Be List’ suggests we encourage ourselves by talking out loud.  To ourselves! 

For some it may sound a bit out there, however there’s more people participating in this practice that you might think.  In our communication skills courses I refer to this self-talk in the hope that I’m not alone as I have a tendency to chatter to myself quite a lot.  I usually find around half of the participants have chats to themselves – many silently, and some out loud.  Speaking out loud can help you get clarity.  You can audibly hear through your own ears the idea in your head that is not helpful or productive and this out loud conversation can help you get back on track to where you really want to be.  One thing is for certain, it sure beats waiting around for someone to talk to and encourage you – especially if you’re working on your own.  Go on – try it for yourself…

Yes – it may seem weird – people may look at you oddly, especially if you’re working in an office with others.  It’s often easier to have these kinds of conversations with yourself in the car if you’re commuting a lot – people think you’re chatting hands free!!  I think of chatting to myself a little differently … if it means that I can snap myself out of a rut by having an out loud conversation with myself, telling myself that things are going to get better, I if just persevere with this task and then I can move onto the next, and I feel more positive and productive, that’s got to be good for me. 

Let’s encourage ourselves this year!