Mental Health
Positive Thinking: 3 Tips to Influence Your Thoughts Through Language
March 26, 2020 — 2 minutes of reading time
Not only do our thoughts affect what we say, but what we say also influences our thoughts. Here are 3 Mindable tips to help you easily learn how to positively influence your thinking through language and strengthen your self-efficacy.
Always Isn’t Always the Same
We often always tend to always use the word “always.” But not everything that happens is always the same, right? By consciously trying to leave out always or replacing it with the word “often/more often,” we give ourselves the chance to view things a bit more nuanced. After all, not every one of your panic attacks is always the same, and you’re not always equally anxious in every situation, are you?
When I do XY, I (often/more often) feel anxious instead of
When I do XY, I always feel anxious.
You’ve Been Anxious Up Until Now
When talking about your anxiety, whether with others or in your own thoughts, try using the word “so far.” Because so far, you’ve been anxious, but that can change starting now 🙂 By using this little word, you’re whispering to your subconscious that the anxiety lies in your past and doesn’t necessarily have to influence your present and future.
So far, I’ve been afraid of… instead of
I am afraid of…
So far, I’ve had panic attacks when… instead of
I have panic attacks when…
Not Yet
“I can’t do this!” is often one of the first things that pops into our heads or spills out of our mouths as soon as we’re in an anxiety-inducing situation. Next time you feel this way, try adding the word “yet” before “can’t.” A “yet” can also wonderfully pair with a “so far.” This way, you can whisper to your subconscious that it’s okay to let go of the anxiety and the past, and instead look forward to the present and future—free from fear.
I’m so afraid that I (so far) can’t do XY yet instead of
I’m so afraid that I can’t do XY.
And since we’re on the topic of “language changes thinking,” here’s a little note from us:
You might have noticed that both on our homepage and within the app, we use gender-inclusive language with colons. It’s important to us that everyone feels equally addressed and that no one is discriminated against. And let’s be honest: the generic masculine is just outdated. If you have any suggestions on how we can be even more inclusive in other areas, feel free to email us at support@mindable.health.
