Positive self-talk is something I can do anytime, anywhere, to help my mood symptoms, especially depression, mania, and anxiety.
I can’t recall a single mental health professional who hasn’t emphasized one key point: The way I talk to myself plays a major role in how I live with and respond to my bipolar disorder. My mood episodes — whether manic, depressive, or mixed — all have a powerful effect on how that self-talk sounds.
Through my many cycles in and out of therapy, I’ve learned that speaking to myself in just the right way can make a real difference in how I handle my mood disorder symptoms. One of the best parts? Self-talk doesn’t come with unpleasant side effects, and I can practice it almost anywhere and at any time.
Positive Self-Talk for Manic Episodes
Symptoms of mania call for a steady stream of self-talk. When my mind starts racing out of control, it’s easy to get swept up in a flood of thoughts that make less and less sense as the episode builds.
In those moments, I talk to myself and acknowledge things like:
- I’m starting to feel revved up.
- I need to break tasks down into manageable chunks based on what matters most.
This kind of self-talk also helps when I’m feeling irritable and can’t sleep or sit still — when my mind is buzzing with too much all at once.
During mania, I sometimes feel tempted to stop taking my medications — maybe because I feel unstoppable, wildly productive, deeply loved, or convinced I’m capable of incredible things. But I’ve learned to remind myself, again and again, why staying on my medications is usually the safer choice — or, at the very least, why I should talk it through with my doctor first.
Hypomania can be fun for a while, but self-talk remains an important strategy I regularly use to take care of what needs to get done and anchor myself back into reality.
Positive Self-Talk for Depressive Episodes
When I’m depressed, my thoughts can turn dark fast. Suddenly, everything in my life seems awful, and I start to wonder if I’ll even make it through the mood episode.
Even the smallest tasks — climbing out of bed, changing out of my pajamas, brushing my teeth — can feel overwhelmingly painful. And when that heavy, disconnected feeling hits, like I’ve been unplugged from life, it’s hard to know where to begin or how to climb out of the despair.
But I’ve learned that certain reminders help me find my way back:
Sometimes, pairing these thoughts with something simple — like writing down a few things I like about myself on an index card and taping it into my planner or on my bathroom mirror — gives me a little more strength. When I talk to myself with this newfound hopefulness, it becomes easier to be more optimistic.
Using positive self-talk to attack depression ultimately helps me fight my way out of the fog and reclaim my life.
Positive Self-Talk for Anxiety
When I’m feeling anxious, self-talk becomes a soothing way to calm myself and practice the distress-tolerance skills I’ve learned.
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Anxiety can feel downright terrifying — not just because of the racing thoughts but also the physical symptoms, like my pounding heart, that seem to feed the panic.
In those moments, I try to reassure myself gently:
- I am in control of this moment.
Then I guide myself into taking a few deep breaths.
I also remind myself:
- I have the coping skills to deal with my anxiety, no matter how bad it seems.
This kind of self-talk helps me through these moments when it’s not possible to take medication, or when my other go-to coping strategies aren’t working as well as I’d hoped.
Sometimes, the anxiety feels so overwhelming that I fear I’ll never find relief, but speaking to myself slowly and with kindness usually helps me refocus.
Positive Self-Talk for Crisis Situations
When my world feels like it’s spinning out of control — or when I’m having suicidal thoughts — positive self-talk helps me begin to work through those overwhelming experiences. These self-talk skills are especially important during a crisis, giving me something to hold onto when I feel most stressed.
In those times, I turn to the tools I’ve learned: I follow my crisis plan, reach out to people who can help reinforce this positive self-talk, and do my best to stay away from triggers that may only exacerbate my mood symptoms.
And again, I remind myself:
- I have gotten through crises before.
- If I take good care of myself, it’s possible to find my way back to health and feel balanced again.
It’s not always easy to believe in the moment, but I hold onto the truth that healing takes time — and that my own words can help light the way forward.
UPDATED: Originally posted February 7, 2020