Have you noticed how negative self-talk can slow your progress, or even keep you stuck in place? Your mind is full of internal chatter all the time! And it has a huge direct impact on your results as an entrepreneur.

So improving your self-talk needs to be part of your business strategy!

“But how can I improve my self-talk and build the mindset I need to really thrive in business?”

Here are 8 techniques for improving your self-talk and your mindset, so you can take courageous, inspired action and be more resilient through the ups and downs of entrepreneurship.

This is for you if:

You have repeating negative thoughts about yourself that are getting in the way of taking brave action.
You’re ready to fix your mindset and become your own biggest cheerleader!

1. Meditation

Commit a few minutes each morning or evening to meditation!

Meditation trains the mind to notice your thoughts and emotions, and view them from a greater distance, instead of getting caught up and carried away by them. When you get into the habit of noting your thoughts and feelings, you learn just how impermanent they are!

So try meditating each morning for a couple of weeks! Just a few minutes a day goes a long way. Use an app like Headspace or Calm to get started.

2. Journaling

Journaling is about externalizing your thoughts, so you can see them more objectively, and recognize when they’re running wild at your own expense.

So get your thoughts out of your head, and down onto paper!

Pick a journal you love, and reserve it as a space to process your thoughts and feelings about yourself, where they’re coming from, and why you’re choosing to think differently. Use it to also write down how you are choosing to see yourself instead!

3. Affirmations

Verbal affirmations improve your self-image by creating and practicing new neural pathways in your brand. Instead of practicing the same old negative thought patterns, you’re practicing better ones!

Over time, these new, more positive thought patterns become second nature (read up on myelin if you want to understand the biology of how this works!)

Starting an affirmation practice doesn’t need to be fancy; just repeating your affirmations out loud to yourself works! But you can also try an app like Think Up, which lets you record and listen to your affirmations in your own voice.

4. Self-Care

Improving your mindset and self-talk is about more than your words! Taking loving care of yourself sends your subconscious mind the message that you’re worthwhile and deserving of good things.

Spend a little time each day and each week caring for yourself!

Ask yourself which part of you needs attention, and what you need to fill up your cup (a bubble bath to soothe your nerves, an outdoor run to energize your body and spirit, a phone-free weekend to refocus your mind, etc.)

5. Visualization

Visualization is a recognized (and totally free and safe) way to enhance your performance at just about anything you want to do.

So if you want to be more self-confident and positive, spend a few minutes each day visualizing your most confident, charismatic self!

You can even visualize stepping into her shoes, turning to face your present-day self, and giving yourself the heartfelt pep talk you need!

6. Positive Media

The media you consume has a huge impact on the internal chatter in your mind! If you take in uplifting content and messages, your internal dialogue will reflect the same tone and attitudes. If you take in negative media, you’ll more often think negative thoughts.

Take care that you’re “programming” your brain to have the kinds of thoughts that serve you well!

Curate the podcasts you listen to, TV programs you watch, books you read, and other media you enjoy! Limit your media exposure to triggers destructive thoughts and feelings, and choose content that uplifts and empowers you.

P.S. This isn’t an excuse to ignore real problems because they make you feel uncomfortable! There’s an important place in your personal development diet for content that challenges your beliefs, prejudices, and inaction — especially when it comes to social issues, like racism and environmental destruction.

7. Newsfeed Clean-Up

As online business owners, we spend so much of our time building our networks and interacting on social media! But the downside of social media is that it often becomes a highlight reel of our wins, without the balancing effect of our disappointments.

This one-sided look can easily trigger feelings of comparison and self-doubt, especially when we most need to tune into and trust our own hearts!

So remove or mute voices and influences that trigger negative self-talk, or cause feelings of comparison and being “not enough.” It’s not personal, and you can always unmute or re-follow them later.

8. Coaching

Sometimes, positive self-talk isn’t actually what you need. Sometimes there’s a deeper shift you’re ready to make – and remember, patterns always get stronger when they’re ready to be released.

So if you’re entering a season of rapid growth and expansion, working with a coach you trust can support you in releasing those old patterns, and installing more supportive thoughts and beliefs about yourself!

Ideally, look for a coach with training in Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), or another modality designed for shaping your thought patterns and installing more empowering beliefs about yourself.

The right coach will support you in shifting your own beliefs and building self-confidence and resilience… while also reflecting back how capable you already are, so you can lean on their belief in you while you’re building up your own self-belief! Learn about coaching with Ashley

Recap

There you have it: 8 ways to improve your self-talk and boost your mindset! What’s your favorite way to reinforce positive, supporting thoughts and beliefs about yourself and the world? Let me know!

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