Listen to the voices in your head

[Guest guest]

In 10-minute confidence booster this week: how to listen to - and silence - your

inner critic .

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/6560394/Listen-to-the-voices-in-your-head.html

By Dr Rob Yeung

Published: 7:00AM GMT 16 Nov 2009

Confidence is a mind game. Confident people believe in themselves, and because

they believe, they achieve.

 

Whatever your current state of mind, you can quickly improve your confidence by

consciously changing how you think about yourself and the world. If you think

that you are capable of achieving more, you feel positive and you become able to

do more.

 

Tell yourself " Everyone's going to laugh at me " or " I'm going to fail " and your

self-confidence withers. If you think you can or you think you can't - you're

right.

 

We all have an inner voice: experts call it our self-talk. You're probably

hearing it as you read this sentence. Experts estimate that we say between 150

and 300 words a minute when we engage in this internal banter - and it acts as a

far harsher judge of you than anyone else could ever be.

 

Psychologists call the unbidden criticisms that pop into our heads automatic

negative thoughts (ANTs). They can take many forms, but here are a few examples:

 

.. " I can't do it - I'm not bright enough to succeed. "

 

.. " People just don't like me. "

 

.. " I'll never change - I'm too old and set in my ways. "

 

.. " Everyone will laugh at me if I mess this up. "

 

.. " It's too difficult. "

 

How to drown out your inner critic

 

Your inner critic can be a pain in the neck. Take on a new challenge and it

whispers: " This will go horribly wrong. " But you can drown out automatic

negative thoughts (ANTs) with capability-affirming thoughts (CATs).

 

Psychologist Michael Mahoney, then at Pennsylvania State University, studied a

group of gymnasts hoping to qualify for the US Olympic team. The successful

athletes constantly encouraged themselves by engaging in positive self-talk.

Tell yourself that you can do it and you go a long way towards proving yourself

right.

 

CATs, also referred to as positive affirmations or helpful self-talk, are like a

coach motivating you to keep going, to be the best you can.

 

Examples include:

 

.. " I'm determined to get this done. "

 

.. " Come on, you can do it! "

 

.. " Keep smiling. "

 

.. " I'm much tougher than people think. "

 

.. " Think of the benefits when you finish! "

 

.. " Stay confident. "

 

.. " I've done this before - I can do it again! "

 

Memorise your CATs or jot them on a sheet of card to keep at hand. Repeat them

to yourself whenever you need a lift.