Food and Feelings: April 2007 Archives

"I'm stu..." "I mean I put my foot in my mouth a lot."

That's an example of how to interrupt negative self-talk. I was going to berate myself for my stupidity, but I headed myself off at the pass. I replaced "I'm stupid" with "I put my foot in my mouth a lot."

Sometimes when we claim we're stupid, it's all in fun.

But are you the type to put yourself down every time you commit a faux pas? If so, it's hard to replace with nothing, and nearly impossible to replace with something positive.

But you don't have to replace your mistakes with defensiveness, justification, or even "how wonderful am I." After all, you're an intellectual. You know you goofed. Why not fess up (at least to yourself.)

Still, "I'm stupid" isn't the truth either. Why not, instead, replace it with something more objective? Replace a general put-down such as "I'm stupid" with a more specific, objective self-talk such as, "I sure do put my foot in my mouth a lot" or even better "I sure did put my foot in my mouth that time."

Interrupt yourself to get the job done. Over time, it will get easier. Stop at "I'm stu."

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