How to Improve Self-Communication to Better Yourself

• Step 1

  Identify how you currently perceive yourself and how you communicate with yourself. Write these perceptions down on paper in list form. Objective self-examination and introspection are the first steps toward self-improvement.

• Step 2

  Write a list of pros and cons of how you think of yourself. Honestly examine what kind of language you use to describe yourself.

• Step 3

  Determine what is healthy in your list and what is not. This doesn't mean that you should be in denial about things that are not your strengths, but you shouldn't berate yourself over them. Instead, you should accentuate your strengths and accept your weaknesses for what they are; striking this balance can help your self-image.

• Step 4

  Recognize and celebrate your strengths, experience, abilities and achievements from your list.

• Step 5

  Accept that you are not perfect, nor are you meant or expected to be. We put a lot of pressure on ourselves and tend to turn against ourselves if we don't live up to an unreasonable, projected self-image of perfection, setting ourselves up for failure. Be realistic and forgiving of your flaws. When you practice self-acceptance you can accept yourself completely without criticizing or judging yourself, according to Reachout.com.

• Step 6

  Control your thinking. If you catch yourself veering toward negative self-talk, consciously remind yourself that this type of thinking and self-talk won't help you toward self-improvement.

• Step 7

  Create and exercise healthy affirmations. Affirmations are positive statements that we can use to remind ourselves of our positive attributes. Use sticky notes to write these positive phrases and post them in places that you frequent such as the bathroom medicine cabinet, the refrigerator door, the car's rear view mirror, or your computer monitor. Having a visual reminder can help to spur us in the right direction.

• 4
• Pen and paper
• Pen and paper
• *Treat yourself the way you would treat a friend. You should be as careful with your own feelings as anyone else's.
• *Treat yourself the way you would treat a friend. You should be as careful with your own feelings as anyone else's.
• If you have trouble overcoming negative self-talk, you may want to seek counseling. Sometimes it takes an impartial professional to help undo long-term negative perception of yourself.
• If you have trouble overcoming negative self-talk, you may want to seek counseling. Sometimes it takes an impartial professional to help undo long-term negative perception of yourself.

References & Resources

• More-selfesteem.com: Building self esteem and confidence FAQ - Most frequently Asked Questions How can I improve my communication skills?
• Reachout.com: Maintaining Healthy Self-Esteem
• Enhanced Healing: Improve Your Self-Talk
• Mayo Clinic: Self-esteem: Boost your self-image with these 5 steps
• More-selfesteem.com: Self Talk and Esteem
• Families Online Magazine: Connecting with Yourself and Achieving Success