positive self-talk – Life after losing a mother

Have you ever felt like an imposter or a fraud wondering when you’ll be “found out” or when your true nature will be revealed?

Imposter Syndrome is a real thing frequently experienced by competent women, people who set impossibly high standards for themselves, or those who feel they don’t deserve the accolades and successes they’ve achieved.

Here are a couple of tips to overcoming Imposter Syndrome.

—Secrecy and shame are common denominators. Open up about your feelings to a trusted person.

—Accept compliments and praise. Believe people when they say you did a good job.

—Practice positive self-talk. It’s our “inner gremlin” who sabotages the positive image of ourselves. Push her aside.

Affirmation: I embrace my accomplishments and who I have become.

Coaching questions: In what way have you experienced Imposter Syndrome? What can you say to yourself to affirm who you are and what you’ve accomplished?

Photo by Amin RK on Unsplash

If you had a person in your life treating you the way you treat yourself, you would have gotten rid of them a long time ago. Cheri Huber, author of There Is Nothing Wrong with You: Going Beyond Self-Hate

For the December issue of Vanity Fair, the British author Zadie Smith completed a questionnaire which asked: What do you dislike most about your appearance? “I like it all,” replied Smith, 41. “Self-hatred is for younger, prettier women.” I say self-hatred is for none of us!

Negative self-talk can be destructive not only to ourselves but to our relationships. Here are a few tips to help you tone-down the negative self-talk:

—Name the negative “person” in your head. I call mine the Gremlin. Talk back to the Gremlin, argue with him/her, challenge the Gremlin with the truth.

—Track when your Gremlin is speaking to you. One of the first steps to changing a habit is recognizing when it occurs. Journaling is a helpful way to do this or simply stop and make a mental note of unwarranted negativity.

—Affirm yourself. If your Gremlin is invading your space, affirm yourself. Gremlins hate affirmations because they take away their power. You may not rid yourself of the Gremlin but you can tame him.

Affirmation: I will tame my Gremlin.

Coaching questions: When does your Gremlin use negative self-talk on you? What does he/she say? What will you do the next time this happens to dispel the negative self-talk?

Photo by Andreas Avgousti on Unsplash

Tag: positive self-talk

Learn To Overcome Imposter Syndrome

Learn How To Tame Your Gremlin