Self-talk, your brain and diabetes. Learn the impact!

What is self-talk? It’s the internal conversation we all have with ourselves pretty much all the time. I like to call it the “itty bitty sh**y committee!” For some reason, the majority if not all of our self-talk is negative. Why?

Imagine all the information we have coming at us all the time. The world right now is extremely stressful – the effects of the pandemic, fear, paranoia, anxiety, depression that arose for many during this time; the anger and violence in the world, the constant disagreements and more. If you expose yourself to the news, radio, internet, social media or (old school) newspaper, it can be very difficult to pull yourself away from all that. Even if you weren’t exposed to all that, you can still feel the vibe of the turmoil around you. 

We have our own internal system created by years of taking in intentional or unintentional negativity about who we believe ourselves to be. Finally, we learn to tell ourselves the same things we have heard from our past – not good enough, not lovable, not smart enough and on and on. 

All of this negativity affects your brain and results in depression, anxiety, fear and self-abuse. For a person with diabetes, this stress and negativity can make managing your blood sugar worse. 

How can you change your self-talk from negative to a more positive outlook?

External exposure: 

Take a detox from all the negativity in your life and around you. Stay off television, news, social media – anywhere that is adding to your anxiety or to your negative self-talk. Do it for a set time – maybe 1 day or maybe 3 days or a week. Do other activities that are peaceful, joyful and calming. Note how you feel when you decrease your exposure.

Internal exposure:

Pay attention to your self-talk. Listen to what you are saying to yourself. Write it down. This is to get it “outside” your head so you can look at it. Ask yourself if any of your self-talk is true – really true. Then, step by step, pull apart these negative thoughts and begin to move them to neutral and then to a more positive thought. For example: Negative: “I am so ugly, no one will ever love me!” Neutral: “I’m not the most beautiful person but I’m a good person and someone might like that about me.” Positive: “I truly am a good human being. There is no one else like me. Someone will love me for who I am!”

Give it a good long try and see how your thoughts about yourself change. The more positive and loving your self-talk is, the better you’ll be able to control your blood sugar!

Dr Elaine

Download my free 30 Day Guide to Manage or Reverse Type 2 Diabetes 

This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace the medical advice of your doctor or healthcare provider. Please consult your healthcare provider for advice about a specific medical condition.

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