title: Changing what goes on in your head: how to stop "ain't it awful?".
abstract: How can you change your negative thinking? This column describes a process that, on the surface, seems too simplistic to be beneficial, but that works: choose a few good words to repeat to yourself constantly, progress to better thoughts, and then improve what you say to others. If you want to be more satisfied with your work life and your personal life, you must change the internal dialogue in your head. If you have some version of negative internal chatter, you need to substitute positive statements. You need to say something different from what you have been saying every spare minute of the day. You must say it even if it is the biggest lie you have ever heard yourself think. You must say it for days or weeks before you notice a difference in your attitude, relationships, and health. Eventually, you will notice you feel better and people are behaving better.
authors.affiliation: American College of Physician Executives, Tampa, Florida, USA. blinney@acpe.org
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Linney
mesh_terms: D001521:Behavior Therapy / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008486:Physician Executives / Q000523:psychology*; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology; D012647:Self-Assessment; D013850:Thinking; D014481:United States