Week #10: Shrinithi Sathiyaseelan - Power in Self Talk
Photo Credit: https://www.kidsintransitiontoschool.org/building-the-habit-of-positive-self-talk-infographic/
It is easy to feel stressed in high school, and this is an especially stressful time for us juniors. Today, hearing the Junior Jumpstart presentation in history class struck me very deeply. The material covered in the presentation was all basic information that we know well or are at least familiar with, but I came to the realization that it is now more relevant than ever. I realized that we are currently in the midst of the "summer" season (despite it being winter) because everyone at this time is applying to summer programs and internships, figuring out what they want to do, and planning how to optimize the vital summer before our last year in high school.
Since we are all buried in schoolwork, self-discovery, and everything else in between, I thought that an efficient way to relieve the stress I was feeling would be to write about it. The topic of language and power is important to consider during this time because it is easy to get lost in negative self-talk. With that, here are some reminders and tips for building a habit of positive self-talk that are important to consider during times of stress and/or uncertainty.
It is very important to first recognize negative self-talk. Although this might be something we have heard many times, it is easy to forget when feeling overwhelmed. Listen for when you think negative thoughts, and especially how they make you feel. The next step is recovery. Talk to yourself the way you might console someone else who is struggling and reassure yourself that you can do it. During bad days, trying to find even one positive thing to say makes a key difference.
Next, reframe your mistakes and the negative aspects of your thoughts. While this tip may seem like a superficial inspirational quote, consistently practicing this and building a routine actually makes a difference and eventually changes the way you think. Try to think of what you learned from your mistakes and what you can improve on. Of course, it is impossible to think positively and reframe your thoughts all the time. Instead, when you find that you are berating yourself, use less harsh language or direct your negative feelings somewhere other than yourself. This lets you bound back more quickly and not dwell so much on the downsides.
Hey Shrinithi! I can definitely see where you are coming from. “Summer” season is hard, and I find myself immersed in scouring any resources for internship or research opportunities. Being surrounded by peers even more motivated and accomplished than me doesn’t help matters either. Feeling down and constantly thinking about it definitely isn’t going to help anybody. Just as you said, focusing on recovering and improving my mental well-being will help me stay healthy and focused. Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThank you for this reminder to care for myself. I’ve been feeling very burnt out recently and I know that I will not be able to completely reset myself for at least the next two months. I have found myself feeling overwhelmed with the work that is accumulating; SAT prep, applying to jobs, finals, AP tests, etc. It is very difficult to keep my head down and block the movement of everyone around me who all seem far more capable and motivated than me, although everyone seems more able when you are feeling less than capable. I hope I can take care of myself well enough to offset the effects of this workload and keep myself mentally and physically well despite this workload. Good luck, I hope you are taking care of yourself as well!
ReplyDeleteHey Shrinithi! It is rather weird that we’re all planning 6-8 months ahead already seeing that the year just started but I guess that just is the reality where we live. That aside, I had never really thought of the power that self talk actually had over me. Recognizing negative self talk might sound easy but I do believe that the way you say it is actually deceptive since often people are stuck in vicious cycles where they just really are unable to pick themselves up. After all, reframing the entire way you think and process things is easier said than done. But the tips you give will certainly help people who know that there's a way at least.
ReplyDeleteShrinithi, this post really hit home for me. After hearing the junior jumpstart presentation in my history class it just made the college process much more real for me as well. During winter break, my parents and I were coming up with what summer programs and activities to do and the list, to say the least, was overwhelming. Self talk, encouragement, and praise, I think is vital for us. Living in the Bay Area, education and college is a cutthroat process; everything is a competition everywhere. Giving ourselves time to tell ourselves we are doing great and to give ourselves self encouragement is very motivating, powerful, and important for our mental health. Thank you for reminding me to give myself a break once in awhile and take time to appreciate and praise myself.
ReplyDeleteHello Shrinithi, as we get closer and closer to college, I can feel the stress building up as well. I often feel pressured to make the best use of my time and do this and that for college applications. It has been a little hurtful to my mental health, as I'm sure it has been for a lot of our peers as well. Thanks for the reminder of positive self talk, something I don't do very often. It could be very helpful and powerful to encourage myself and relieve some of the stress.
ReplyDeleteHey Shrinithi, the impending future of beyond high school really is something I am both excited and nervous about. I can definitely feel the stress now, as I realized the decisions I make within the next year will be reflected back onto myself over the next decades to come. I realized that the period of my life where I can ignore my far-away future has ended, and if I do not act now, it will be too late. All this thinking has caused the immense stress that I always told myself does not exist and can be resolved through time management. These methods you have described are truly helpful for me to deal with this stress of junior year, thank you.
ReplyDeleteHi Shrinithi! Your blog offered wonderful suggestions on how to destress during this complicated time when many of us are trying to figure out what to do with our future and how to meet all our requirements for colleges. Self-talk is definitely a powerful tool that can help you change your mindset on things and obtain a positive attitude which will make everything so much easier. The Junior Jumpstart presentation caused me to be super overwhelmed as I realized that there is still so much for me to do, but your self-talk suggestion was extremely helpful. Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteHey Shrinithi, I can also relate to the impact you felt from listening to the Junior Jumpstart presentation. Recently, all I have been worrying about is my upcoming SAT and AP tests along with the homework from school, and with this presentation we received, I also gained additional stress in trying to think of colleges I want to go to and finding what resources would be beneficial to me. I never really took the time to stop and think how big of a mental toll all this stress took on me until your post reminded me the importance of taking things slow sometimes and recognizing my thoughts through self talk. Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteHi Shrinithi, I’m very glad that you discussed this because often when I am drowned in work or stress, or do not do as well as I hoped for, I often surround myself with negativity or I think about how I wish I had done better. But saying positive things like “I tried my best” or “humans make mistakes” can really help to boost my mood. And if you’re stressed about the future, it's best to step back and remember to take life one day at a time and enjoy the feeling of being a teenager before it ends.
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