Understand the root causes of negative self-talk to free yourself

Negative self-talk is the constant critical thoughts we have about ourselves. It can limit and damage our mental and emotional health. Understanding the root causes of negative self-talk is vital for us to be able to deal with it. Many things cause negative self-talk. Our traumatic past can make us think poorly about ourselves and view the world pessimistically. If we had been bullied or constantly blamed in our childhood, we might learn to believe we were not good enough. And these beliefs can persist to the present and affect our current thoughts and feelings. Low self-esteem can also play a role in negative self-talk. If we have low self-worth, we may tend to think about bad events constantly. We may also frequently think of our flaws. To make matters worse, a bad habit we sometimes fall into is social comparison. It can make us feel more flawed than we already are. For this reason, studies find that people who take a break from social media improve their happiness almost immediately. Lastly, our unrealistic expectations can also lead us to negative self-talk. Failing to live up to our very high standards may cause us to be disappointed with ourselves. In high-pressure situations, such as exams or job interviews, we would be much happier if we expected ourselves to be less than perfect. Negative self-talk is a complex issue that has many factors. Understanding its root causes will allow us to develop a more targeted approach to overcoming them. A few easy self-help strategies include talking to ourselves like to a friend, positive affirmations, and mindfulness. But for now, let's examine why we are so quick to think negatively about ourselves. This insight may be the first step to changing our lives.