How The Way You Speak Affects Your Mental Health
Language has a big impact on how we express ourselves. It’s how we build relationships and communicate with others. Understanding how language affects your mindset will help you develop a positive outlook.
The subconscious mind develops up to the age of 10 years old. At this age, it’s often referred to as “wide open,” meaning that it’s vulnerable to influence by others, specifically adults. As you grow older, your subconscious mind stores your past memories and beliefs about yourself.
The feelings you have about your personal experiences usually come from your subconscious mind. They make you think of a good time or tough time, resulting in positive or negative feelings. The memories in your subconscious mind also solidifies your beliefs about yourself.
Personal negativity often comes from your subconscious mind. If you feel as though you’re not good enough, it usually comes from negativity directed toward you as a child. You might have trouble accessing these memories because they’re stored deep in your subconscious.
As time goes on, you might feel as though these beliefs are fact. For example, if people directed negative labels at you as a child, you might feel as an adult that it’s who you are and there’s nothing you can do about it. Fortunately, you can make positive changes through language.
Language has a tremendous impact on your belief. Just as those negative labels as a child resulted in adult beliefs, positive language can change what you believe. The more frequently you use positive and optimistic language, the more likely you are to truly believe it.
A common example of a negative label that people believe is anxiety. Those dealing with anxiety might feel as though they’re stuck and can do little about their condition. However, you are not your behavior and you can slowly separate yourself from that behavior to create positive change.
Many people use negative language when desiring change. Examples of this include saying, “I don’t want to hate my boss,” or “I don’t want to feel anxious.” This creates a feeling of helplessness. Instead, reframe your tone by saying what kind of change you want. This active language will provide confidence that you can make the change.
This process is known as thought stopping and reframing. It allows you to take something that you might see as a negative and turn it into a positive. Practicing thought stopping and reframing is a good way to begin using language that will positively impact your life.
To practice thought stopping and reframing, write down one thing that you don’t like about yourself. For example, you might not like that you have trouble explaining yourself. Rather than thinking about what you can’t do, consider that you’re being deliberate about your words. This is a trait of articulate people who want to be thorough, a positive attribute.
In this exercise, focusing on what you consider a negative trait is thought stopping. Changing the way that you think of this trait is reframing. The trait remains the same but the language you use when describing it turns it from a negative into a positive.
If you’ve ever wondered how those around you can be so positive while you’re negative, this is a way to change. It might be difficult at the beginning, but repetition of this exercise will form a habit. Eventually, you’ll stop seeing things as a negative and look on the bright side.
This is one of multiple treatments or exercises that can help you create a positive mindset. If you’re looking to create a better overall mindset, book a free consultation through my website. You can also watch my weekly show, The Well-Balanced Mind, where I’ll provide insights into understanding your mind and behavior.
Do you find that you have anger, stress, or sadness and are looking for a change? Hypnotherapy might be a good fit for you. To schedule a consultation call, click here.
