I have “private meetings”with myself. It usually takes place in the car, I use to think something was wrong with me, but I soon realized I had to have these conversations to keep myself grounded. I’m not a rocket scientist but I do know I am not alone.
To those that do not understand, live a little longer, you’ll see. The first time I spoke to myself was after I was having a conversation with God. I moved to another state and I was not sure if I made the right decision. My world was stuck, I wasn’t moving and for some reason I felt as if I was not ever going to get out of this state of mind. I was alone, my friends were in relationships (amazing ones at that) and my family was a phone call a way, but sometimes that is not good enough. We all despise the feeling of loneliness and I had a hard time dealing with mines. However, having these “talks” seen me through rough times.
I continue to do this and sometimes I have to tell myself “no not today”. There are moments when I feel bad for myself, at this age I feel like I am suppose to be further than I am. I should be successful as an author, and should be running my own business. I know things are done in God’s timing but the “waiting” period is the toughest assignment God gives us. Knowing that something will change with no hint or sign of it happening soon can be scary. I think we give ourselves a timeline and when God does not align with that timeline we get nervous, scared, or even thinking about giving up.
Yet telling myself “not today” gets me back on track, knowing that I still have work to do. I can’t expect God to give me what I want at an instant without putting in the work, and I most definitely cannot expect a change while feel bad about myself. That doesn’t even sound right in the same sentence.
Being alone, feeling depressed and having negative thoughts can alter our moods. It can unstable us to thinking we are not good enough. Depression is not easy to conquer and it’s not something we can SNAP out of. That’s one reason why I think mental health does not get the recognition it deserves. Mental Health is not a bruise we can VISUAL see. If someone is talking about how sad they are and struggle with getting up to go to work, others may not know how to handle it. People who have not experience depression or mental health can have a difficult time being empathetic. Some may not even know what to say, but to it is important to know that saying something is not always needed. Being there for someone is what matters most.
9 Surprising Benefits of Talking to Yourself-Linda Carbone
However, in some cases “people” are not around. What do you do when you can’t get in touch with your best friend, parents, spouse, or anyone else you call when you are feeling down? Sometimes we have to have these “pep talks” its mandatory for our lives in order for us to move forward. When we become fearful of the unknown we can worry ourselves to our graves. We can put an entire show in our head and the outcome of whatever we are about to experience will be better than we expected. Talking to yourself will allow you to process your thoughts and blow off steam. Sometimes when we talk whether it is to ourselves our to someone else we process what we are going through.
Another major thing about talking to yourself is the decrease in anxiety and stress. We all know this is a big one for those who worry. When we go over and over in our head what is going on…it helps.
Years ago (I don’t know when) it was reported that if you talked to yourself you were considered crazy. I’m so thankful that is not the case nowadays because everyone would be considered crazy. So just know you are not alone when or if you want to start talking to yourself. Your conversations do not have to be long. It can be a sentence or two. Most people say things to themselves before they perform or have to do a presentation. Those few moments of talking to yourself can make our break your day.
Keep feeding yourself that positive information because we live in a world where negativity hits you the moment you open your front door. Look in the mirror and tell yourself how beautiful you are and how you are going to get through the day despite what happened yesterday or the day before. Changing the way you talk to yourself builds confidence and we need when we experience tough days. It’s okay to cry during your conversations with yourself and even pour out your frustration. It’s vital and helps our wellbeing on a daily basis.
So go ahead express yourself…to yourself. You’ll be surprise how better you will feel overall.
-Jamie