Why Positive Self-talk can help in an Accelerated Health Care Program

Enrolling in a health care program means that you're undoubtedly a busy person. Being busy is probably one of the reasons that you chose an accelerated-style of learning in the first place.

It also means that you're likely goal-oriented. You see what you can accomplish and are willing to do the work to live a better life! But, even goal-oriented people can struggle with the demands of a busy schedule and negative self-talk from time-to-time. You know, the days where you get in the rut of saying to yourself "Why did I do this?" or "What was I thinking?"

Those kinds of thoughts can ruin your day if you let them. It's a pit of quicksand that you have the power to avoid and pull yourself out of just as quickly as it has the power to pull you in deeper. On the days when you have classes, studying and work, it's easy to get frustrated and want to quit. These are the days you should be kind to yourself with a little extra positive-self talk.

What is Positive Self-Talk?

Positive self-talk is what you say to yourself to help you change your thinking. It typically starts with replacing thoughts of "I'm not good enough" or "I can't do this" with uplifting thoughts. Positive self-talk is not self-deception or mentally looking at circumstances with eyes that only see what you want them to but rather, it's about recognizing the truth in situations and in yourself.

For instance, you might want to say to yourself "I am capable" or "I can do it". There are lots of other cheerful statements you could say to yourself that can help you erase negative thoughts from your mind. Using positive self-talk can help you get through the hard stretches of an accelerated program.

Benefits of Positive Self Talk

The Mayo Clinic has studied the effects of positive thinking and optimism on health and has concluded that health benefits that positive thinking may provide include:

• Increased life span
• Lower rates of depression
• Lower levels of distress
• Greater resistance to the common cold
• Better psychological and physical well-being
• Better cardiovascular health and reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease
• Better coping skills during hardships and times of stress

Ways to Apply Positive Self-Talk

Write all the motivational quotes down that you find that can help keep you going when you feel like you want to give up on your education and career goals. In addition, you could also save those inspirational image quotes you often see on social media sites on your profile page.

It also is possible to have daily positive self-talk quotes sent to your emails or via text message for further motivation. In addition, you might be able to find them on blog posts. Keep all these cheerful messages within reach at all times just in case you need a pick-up on those hard days.

When You Need More than just Self-Talk

Sometimes, you can talk yourself out of a negative mindset and resume your studies or work as usual. However, there might be times when you need encouragement from someone else. And that's okay, too!

It is important to remember that there are people out there who want to help you. You can reach out to fellow classmates, your instructors, or campus support staff. The sooner you reach out for help, the sooner it will be that you will accomplish what you thought was impossible.

Taking the first step

At Concorde, we are committed to helping students prepare for a rewarding health care career with high caliber training, real-world experience, and student-centered support.

If you are interested in learning more about our accelerated health care programs, contact us today at 800-693-7010.