Negative Self-Talk

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Last Thursday, I decided to do something different with students of 4 Ibnu Sinar (the first class of the form). I went into the class and invited students to share on things that they do when they feel frustrated or emotionally depressed. I made efforts to direct the discussion to the word self-talk and yes, the objective of the lesson was to study and improve on students' self-talk.    

Self-talk provides a kind of program that our subconscious minds respond to. Our minds work something like computers: Our brains are the hardware, and what we say to ourselves is the software. 
 (Isaac & Ritchey, 1989, p.3)

Self-talk was chosen because from readings, I discover that positive self-talk helps to raise students' confidence. Scholars believe that raising students' confidence is essential as self-perception predicts learning and student performance. Thus, self-talk can be of much help to my group of student as I discover that the students are suffering from low self-perception. Many of them perceive themselves less intelligent, capable and attractive than their classmates. More, I have a burgeoning interest in knowing what are in their head which keep bothering them. Are they the victims of emotional, physical, social or financial problems? 

Below are some of the negative self-talk which my students always have in them (ignore the language mistakes):  

Students actually enjoyed the activity as they kept complaining that the blackboard is too small for the activity. The activity made them felt relieved and made them realised that they are not the only person with the problem and that the problem/self-talk is felt by all.

As an educator, my next important task is to transform students' negative self-talk to positive. It is a need as studies discovered that:
Brain cannot distinguish between a real experience and an imaginary one. In other words, when we picture ourselves sucking a lemon, we automatically salivate to neutralize imaginary acid in our mouths ... Studies also show that when people tell themselves that they are going to get sick, or when they consider themselves types who get sick easily, they are more likely to develop illnesses'. 
 (Isaac & Ritchey, 1989, p.3) 


Based on wonderful Isaac and Ritchey in their book, I Think I Can I Know I Can, there are three approaches to substitute negative self-talk to positive self talk:
  1. positive affirmations;
  2. using cue words; and
  3. talking back to negative voices.
As I really love to talk back, I taught my students to talk back to their negative voices. How did I teach them to talk back? I made them read an article from Marc and Angel. Though the article is quite hard for them, all of them decide to keep the article because it motivates them and helps them to improve their self-talk.

If you also feel so overwhelmed by negative self-talk, I hope reading 6 Questions You Need To Stop Asking Yourself helps you maneuvering through yours.

Attitudes and what one says to oneself are strong determinants of health, stress and susceptibility to illness.
(Isaac & Ritchey, 1989, p.190) 
  


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