POSITIVITY
(and banish negative self-talk)
Anyone can access greater self-belief. Here, Psychologies’ Emma Cooling speaks to three experts, and discovers their personal approaches to thinking more positively
Life’s winners are simply the top of their talent pool, right? Wrong! Or so the experts say, believing that success is not always down to ability. Often, in fact, those who appear to be nailing it are no more capable than their comrades. Their secret, then? Self-belief. And the good news is there are plenty of evidence-based tips on how the rest of us can grab a piece of it, and banish our negative internal chatter.
How many times does our inner voice rob us of the confidence to chase a goal or leave us shying away from an opportunity? Imagine if that voice was encouraging and positive, instead. Psychologists say those who pursue and achieve goals (and seem to smash it every time) are often not better company, fitter, or more intelligent than the rest of us – they simply think more positively and are not afraid to put themselves out there.
Self-belief doesn’t mean being big-headed – it’s about having faith in your own ability. When we believe in ourselves, we kick-start psychological processes that help us achieve our goals. The flip side is also true: when we judge ourselves to be incapable, we can unwittingly set ourselves up to fail. Bigging ourselves up doesn’t come naturally – the thought alone can make many of us cringe. But it’s powers are proven. This much-quoted nugget of wisdom from US motoring magnate Henry Ford refers to the powers of positive thinking: ‘Whether you think you can or whether you think you can’t, you’re right.’ The trick, then, is to believe that we can achieve.
The causes of our negative thinking will vary – from schooling, parenting and genes, to the company we keep, many factors will have impacted on how we view ourselves. And some of these reasons will be deeply rooted, but that doesn’t mean we can’t all work to improve our self-belief and
