It Starts With You
When we think about communication, we often consider how we communicate with others. The body language, words, tone, eye contact we use when communicating with our colleagues, friends & loved ones.
What about us? What words are we saying, what tone are we using, what body language are we showing OURSELVES?!
As Lorena Bernal says in her beautiful book, it really does start with YOU.
“Encouraging brain change is taxing - it will feel counterintuitive, but keep committing and re-committing - neuroplasticity is directed by repetition.” - Dr Tara Swart
How you speak to yourself changes your whole relationship with yourself AND others.
When improving communication techniques, building confidence, cultivating relationships or making transitions, the biggest shift you can make first is how you speak to yourself.
This can feel challenging. As Dr Tara Swart explains in The Source, building new neural pathways takes commitment and consistency.
As a start, try these THREE THINGS:
Listen In: Begin to notice the thoughts that you are having when by yourself (in the shower, as you look at yourself in the mirror, on a walk)
Question: Interrogate these thoughts - if you wrote them down, would you want to hear them outloud? Or say them to another person? Are they helpful? Are they TRUE?
Change: If you were speaking to a child, what would you say to them as they were getting ready, or walking down the street? How would you encourage them to communicate with themselves?
