Expert Advice

Acella Pharmaceuticals, LLC., is partnering with Helene Zahn-Chilberg, MA, LPMHC, LCAS-A, to bring greater awareness to the importance of thyroid care and education. This post was sponsored by Acella Pharmaceuticals and should not be construed as medical advice. Please talk to your doctor about your individual medical situation. 

Disclaimer: The information provided is for educational purposes only and does not substitute professional medical advice. Consult a medical professional or healthcare provider before beginning any exercise, fitness, diet, or nutrition routine.

Thyroid disease often impacts a patient’s mood. Specifically for hypothyroidism, symptoms of anxiety, depression, and unusual tiredness are commonly reported.¹ While your healthcare provider may recommend specific tests and a treatment plan to bring your hormones into balance. A whole-body approach means taking stock of your emotional and physical wellness.

When taking steps to improve your emotional wellness, taking a good long look at your self-talk and mindset is unavoidable. When we redirect negative thinking and focus on valuing ourselves, our self-worth and self-respect improve. Concentrate on increasing self-respect and realizing your true self-worth are fundamental ways to honor yourself.

When I first meet with individuals and ask what their self-talk sounds like, many are surprised by the question. I often get one of two responses – a strange look wondering why this is important or a sheepish look and a statement along the lines of “I’m pretty hard on myself." It is my experience that the vast majority of people are much “harder” on themselves than anyone else in their lives. This issue, although very common, is one of the most destructive habits to self-esteem, self-worth and well-being.

I am a big supporter of looking negative thinking and self-deprecation straight in the eye because of the unquestionable damage it does to a person’s sense of self. The profound impact of this mode of thinking on self-esteem and even a person’s view of the world is significant. It is just a bad habit. Like any bad habit, it started somewhere, and we have the power to change it with attention and choice.

What is Negative Self-Talk?

Would it surprise you to know that the most common origin of negative thoughts is being told a negative belief by someone important to you? It is most often when we are little and haven't learned how to differentiate our personal truth from someone else’s point of view. So as a child, we believe what is said about us and begin functioning from that place. Frequently this is not a one-time occurrence, and this belief then gets reinforced and gains traction in our consciousness.

I often ask my clients who are struggling with this issue if they experienced bullying. I then ask them to move forward in time to when they took over bullying themselves. It is that clear to me. When we judge and are subsequently mean and even cruel to someone or ourselves, that is bullying behavior. The next question is, “Is that ok with you?” When we shift to that perspective, it can open the door for the choice of greater kindness and honoring ourselves.

How do we distinguish what is negative self-talk? Common examples of negative self-talk are perfectionism, blaming yourself, catastrophic thinking and personalization. Another example is filtering out any positive aspects of a situation and instead focusing only on the negative. One way we can begin to isolate and clearly identify negative thinking is to notice how it feels. Judgement of self never feels good or expansive. It feels heavy.

How to Start Eliminating Negative Self-Talk

First, we must realize and accurately identify when we are being negative clearly. This means checking in with ourselves and noticing when things feel burdensome or bad.

The next step is where the practice begins. One of the ways we can acknowledge this dynamic is to ask ourselves, “Is this unkind?” I often ask, “Is this something you would openly say to another person?” Frequently the thoughts we direct toward ourselves are things that we would be horrified to hear someone say to another person. If true, why do we accept those thoughts as truth rather than confronting or challenging them within ourselves?

What if you chose to be your best friend and never let anyone speak ill of you again? Including you! What would it take to have that level of kindness and care for yourself?

I teach the following technique:

When you notice you are stuck in a negative thought cycle, pause. Imagine a STOP sign right in front of your face. Ask yourself if this is kind. Talk it through by asking yourself, “What would be kind and caring in this moment?” Most of us would be very kind if we were speaking to our best friend. What might we say to them? Staying with it and practicing this strategy every time you catch yourself in your old cycle will take resolve. As you build momentum, you will likely find that it gets easier. Now, this does not mean you cannot strive to improve in areas of your life. Will you allow these changes to come from kindness and caring rather than harshness? This kindness and caring is a way of honoring yourself. It is fundamental to self-care. It allows the building of self-esteem, value, and self-worth. It is a demand that we can only make of ourselves. To start treating ourselves as we deserve to be treated, with dignity and respect.

Honoring yourself through small and consistent actions can create amazing results. Realizing self-worth can help us prioritize choices that move us toward personal transformation. Are you willing to practice, one day at a time, consistently choosing greater for yourself? I believe in you and know that you are capable of making these changes to create a greater future for yourself! As always, I support your choice for greater wellness.

REFERENCE: 1. Ayhan, M.G., Uguz, F., Askin, R. and Gonen, M.S., 2014. The prevalence of depression and anxiety disorders in patients with euthyroid Hashimoto’s thyroiditis: a comparative study. General Hospital Psychiatry. 36(1), pp.95-98.

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