Managing Your Internal Dialog: Warrior Mind Podcast #467

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In this episode of the Warrior Mind Podcast I’m going to discuss the importance of managing your internal dialog and why it’s essential in achieving personal success.

Tips On Managing Your Internal Dialogue

Did you know that most people don’t understand what is meant by ‘internal dialogue’? Put in simple terms, internal dialogue is a stream of thoughts. It’s that little voice you hear in your head that seems to comment on your life’s details whether it’s what you are subconsciously or consciously thinking of, or what is happening around you.

You must have realized by now that every person has an internal dialogue and it runs constantly. Some people are skilled at manipulating their internal dialogue because they give it more attention. It’s manifested in the way you apply logic when faced with the different challenges in life, although experiences and emotions could also drive and skew logic at times.

Importance of internal dialogue

There are different components that make us human, and one such component is internal logic. This is m because logic gives us the ability to read situations and reason accordingly. Your self-esteem, mood, and self-confidence are affected by both the language you use and what you think. In fact, Neuro-Linguistic programming is based on the above statement.

However, your internal dialogue is not necessarily always helpful, sometimes it can be extremely unhelpful. Below are a few examples of such situations.

• When you are anxious, then your internal dialogue will reinforce this naturally. According to some commentators, the more anxious you get, the more you interfere with your internal dialogue and this could lead to a vicious cycle.
• When you are exposed to unhappy thoughts and negative language, your mood will be greatly affected. This, in turn, will affect your internal dialogue which will tend to lean towards beating yourself up. Once your internal dialogue turns negative, it can cause a lot of self-esteem issues and a lack of confidence.
• When you always look at the bright side of things and keep a positive internal dialogue, your mood will be improved greatly and you will feel more positive.

All the above examples suggest that managing your internal dialogue is paramount for your mental well-being which could potentially lead to a successful life.

Enjoy this podcast on managing your internal dialog

Managing internal dialogue

1. Paying closer attention to your internal dialogue

Before you can start managing your internal dialogue, you need to first start paying closer attention to it. Some people view their internal dialogue as a constant presence which is a great thing and makes it easier for them to tune in. However, when you pay less attention to your internal dialogue, you will find it harder to tune. You need to start by meditating in order to start paying the much-needed attention to your internal dialogue. Meditation is a good way to relax and concentrate on your thoughts.

A different technique that you could use is to constantly ask yourself what your next thoughts will be. This technique could either distract your brain or disrupt your internal dialogue, but either way, your brain will get the needed space to recollect and become aware of the situation.

Paying close attention to your inner thoughts should help you understand the following:

• What your internal dialogue tends to think about most. This will be instrumental in understanding what seems to bother you at certain periods.
• Whether your internal dialogues are majorly negative or positive.
• Your dominant orientation of time whether present, past, or future.
• Finally, your motivation (do you think more of how things interrelate or do you think about having less bad things or more good ones)

2. Changing your internal dialogue

You can only start working on changing your internal dialogue once you are fully aware of the kind of thinking patterns they take and what you tend to think about most. The following are some of the ways to help you change your internal dialogue.

· Always think positively and never negatively

There is nothing worse than constantly criticizing yourself and internally beating yourself up. In order to achieve your dreams, you need to improve by moving forward and not blaming yourself for the wrong steps you have taken. Try to avoid any sort of negative thinking and your overall internal dialogue will transform.

Start by always shifting your thoughts towards the positive attributes of things each time your mind seems to focus on the negative. A good example is always thinking of the positive sides of a bad situation like the lessons you have learnt, and what you did right however small.

Whenever you struggle with negative thoughts, then try this simple exercise. Sway your mind to think of the complete opposite by double or more. Go into details on how the opposite would feel and look including how you would behave.

· Try to focus on the present

Most of the time, your internal dialogue will focus on the present or past. By focusing on the present constantly, you will guide your internal dialogue to concentrate more on what is happening now rather than worrying about what has passed or what is to come.

· Always be grateful for your current situation

In order to change your inner thoughts and stop yourself from wanting less or more out of life, you need to be grateful for every little thing that you might have. Being grateful will gear you towards positivity which is extremely great for your general well-being.

· Stop all unhelpful internal dialogue

There are a few moments in life when our internal dialogue simply takes over and spirals off in a negative direction. In such situations, you need to take charge of the situation and tell yourself to stop. Some people feel the urge to shout out stop while others use a gentle mental tone. Use whichever works effectively for you after you carry out some experiments on the same.

To fully control your internal dialogue, you will need a lot of practice and time

It will take some time before you can fully listen and control your internal dialogue. Just like all other mental practices and exercises, time and enough practice are essential. Remember that is entirely normal to struggle with your internal dialogue from time to time even after all the practice. In case, you fail to manage your inner dialogue every once in a while, do not beat yourself up.

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