by Aaron Weidman, MS, ATC, CEAS

Listen, we’ve all struggled with confidence at some point. Thoughts enter into our mind like, “I’m not good enough at my job,” or “I’m always last to complete my work tasks,” or, “I’m such a failure.” Sometimes the day-to-day has a way of getting us down. The good news? This happens to everyone. But what doesn’t have to happen is to let those negative thoughts spiral us downward. We talked a while ago about being Good Vibes Only and what that mindset means for facing others and being a beam of light for them. Now let’s flip those vibes back onto ourselves. What if we take the GVO mindset and we use it on ourselves when we’re feeling down?

Flippin’ The Script

Good Vibes Only is a conscious choice that we can make to help build our confidence just the same as when we use it on others. If we can take those doubts and negative feelings we have in our own head and flip them over we can use those good vibes to help build us back up.

A New Paradigm

So how do you go about turning self doubt and negative talk into good vibes? That’s a great question, and honestly, if I had the perfect answer, I’d be hosting a podcast and be on a cross-country speaking tour. So, let’s start with a simple practice that we can implement daily, whether it’s during our morning commute in the car, during the pressures of work tasks and challenges, or even at-home chores and errands. Practicing positive self-talk improves our self-esteem, our confidence, and pushes that negativity aside. Here are a couple practical examples I’ve used to help turn myself around and get back on track when the bad vibes start to creep in:

“I’m slammed with ESI visits today. I’ve let everyone down!!”

This usually means I don’t have much time to go out on the floor and help bring the good vibes out to the industrial athletes – and we as Injury Prevention Specialists really love to do this. Instead, I reframe that negative thought into:

“I’ve been able to impact so many in ESI appointments today so they can get back to what they do best.”

Simple right? Reframe our mindset of what those appointments mean and it seems like a much more productive, impactful day.

The same practice can work at home in the mundane details of life.

“I’ve lost my car keys, again… I’m such a scatterbrain!!”

Turn the negative, self-deprecating thought around and put a positive vibe on it:

“I don’t remember where my keys are, but this is a great chance for me to get some steps in and also a fun little scavenger hunt!!”

Use the mindset shift to turn this situation into a positive and keep those good vibes rolling!!

Common missteps and mistakes don’t have to drag us down. Practicing positive self-talk may seem a bit cheesy or a little sarcastic, sure. But, it prepares us to reflexively build ourselves up even when we aren’t joking. And that’s how we can remain #GoodVibesOnly.

Aaron Weidman, MS, ATC, CEAS|| Aaron is a Certified Athletic Trainer in the Normal, IL area. Aaron has spent his career helping athletes, patients, and team members prevent and recover from injuries and is passionate about prevention. When Aaron isn’t at work he enjoys traveling with his wife, touring with Taylor Swift, or at home spoiling their Scottish Terrier, Zoey.

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Be sure to check out our other blogs for further injury prevention education and tips for the industrial athlete from Work Right NW!