Using Self-Talk to Stay Balanced In The Face Of Bullying/Verbal Attacks
Focus on what you CAN control during unpleasant interactions
Self-talk is at the core of staying calm and in control in the face of difficult situations.
Simply put, self-talk refers to the words and thoughts we say to ourselves.
Even if you aren’t aware of the exact words that you’re saying to yourself, be sure that you have this quiet internal process going on within you. It’s a very powerful force for helping you stay calm and changing your own behavior.
We can divide self-talk into two categories:
1. Negative self-talk makes it more difficult to find and use constructive solutions.
2. Positive self-talk is more likely to help you find and use constructive solutions.
Let’s look at them in more detail.
Negative, Nonconstructive Self-Talk
Negative self-talk is inner dialogue that has a tendency to make you more angry, less in control, and less likely to step back and put difficult behavior and situations in context and perspective.
Some general examples of this kind of negative inner dialogue include …
