Author: Jo Costello

Your Communication

There are many different reasons to have conversations with others: to meet someone new, resolve a conflict, get to know someone better, provide someone support, and get support from someone, among others.

One way to increase your social supports is to have successful conversations with others. Having successful conversations usually begins with good communication.

Being a good communicator or conversationalist takes time and practice. A starting place is to learn some communication skills, which may also help you build relationships, have successful conversations, and help you key into contextual or situational cues.

Self-Advocacy & Your Values

Self-esteem is confidence in yourself. Building confidence in yourself includes treating yourself with respect, standing up for yourself, standing up for your needs and rights, and educating those around you.

Standing up for yourself is known as self-advocacy. It’s important to advocate for your needs, wants, and desires.

Resources

• Mantra Resources – Kara Cronin Blog

Self-Talk

Many of us have an internal monologue, or self-talk, which includes both positive and negative thoughts. Self-talk can help you encourage yourself, face fears, explore emotions, or understand how you feel about something. For example, when you’re tired but want to finish one more task, positive self-talk can motivate you. It’s also useful when doing things you may not enjoy, like visiting the dentist.

However, not all self-talk is positive. Sometimes, you may be hard on yourself, using self-talk to criticize rather than uplift. This kind of negative inner monologue can discourage you from reaching your goals.

For example, you might say things to yourself like, “I can’t do it,” or “I make too many mistakes.” These are examples of negative self-talk.

Shifting your self-talk from negative to positive thoughts may help you be more successful in overcoming fears and exploring your emotions.