Improving self-talk

Here are some of the techniques I've been learning in counseling which seem to be helping. Pay attention to your "self talk". If you're feeding yourself negative thoughts or blaming yourself for something, consciously focus on changing them to positive thoughts. What things do you like about yourself? What intrinsic qualities do you have that make you a good person? It helps to make a list on paper, or put post-it notes on the mirror. Sometimes it helps to say them out loud, to "derail" your negative cycle fo thoughts. If you're struggling with guilt over something, remember that making mistakes is human, and that you deserve forgiveness. Most important, remember that even if you make mistakes or look bad or embarrass yourself, this does nothing to change your intrinsic goodness. Your true, inner qualities cannot be altered by what you do or what someone else thinks of you. It takes some practice and feels forced at first, but over time you can actually change the way you think about yourself.