May 2016 | Page 60

thinking, it radiates to all areas of your life. Develop a few mantras to repeat to yourself regularly—even if you don’t believe them at first. Some examples could be: I am enough. I am capable. I choose to speak kindly to myself. Each step I take is towards where I want to be. I am doing the best I can, and that is enough. BECOME YOUR OWN FRIEND To maintain positive self-talk, especially when you’re feeling anxious or upset, it helps to imagine what you’d say to a dear friend or relative. You’d be kind and uplifting, right? You’d tell them it’s going to be okay. Practice bringing yourself the same kindness. Be your own advocate against any negative thoughts that show up. Dwelling on negativity does nothing but cultivate doubt and discontentment. I used to spend years focusing on what I’d done “wrong” or “not good enough” in a situation because I thought 60 | Eydis Magazine it was helping me improve. In reality, I was just damaging my self-esteem by not allowing myself to be happy with what I had done well. Everyone has areas of life they’d like to improve on, but you aren’t going to get anywhere by beating yourself up about it. So be a real friend to yourself, and bring enlightenment instead of criticism. THINK WITH PURPOSE: BE POSITIVE I’m not speaking lightly when I say the power of positivity works wonders. Your selftalk is what becomes your reality. When you feed yourself compassion through kind Reminding yourself to be aware of your self-talk helps you stop negative thoughts in their tracks before they continue to snowball. Think positively and with purpose. It can take time to develop a sense of self-love, so be patient with yourself. Like anything, practicing positive thinking regularly grows into a habit over time, but the rewards of greater wellbeing and happiness are more than worth it. Lauren provides freelance writing and editing services for health and wellness warriors at LaurenEStewart.com. She is also a plantbased blogger at plantyourpeace.com and healthy dessert ebook author at Plant Your Peace. She loves connecting with other passionate people, hanging with her pets (two dogs and a cat), and enjoying a nice cup of coffee.