How often do you catch yourself talking to yourself?
Don’t worry we all apparently spend much of our day talking to ourselves.
We’re in constant dialogue with our brains, talking to ourselves on how we feel about things, and — yes — even the odd profanity that fortunately no-one hears.
This self-talk helps us make sense of our world and helps to get our thinking straight.
But sadly, according to the Mental Health Foundation, we often give ourselves the wrong messages; like “I should have to” or “I ought to have” and “I have to”, “I must”.
We set unrealistic standards of perfection for ourselves, and how many of us are perfect.’
The “I musts” and “I should haves” set us up to feel bad about ourselves, says the Foundation, and if you recognise this pattern of self-talk, stop — take breath and change your statement to one that’s realistic and fair on you.
Management Digital Issue – January 2025
Kickstart 2025 with inspiration and actionable insights from Management magazine’s January issue.