Gary Lupan, Ph.D., a cognitive scientist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison says, “Just about every decision you make starts with a statement you tell yourself, even if you’re not conscious of it”. If you are having trouble sleeping, going to the gym or eating better, you can use this to your advantage by talking yourself into doing whatever you need to get done.
When it comes to exercise, instead of telling yourself you will exercise at a certain time, instead pose it as a question to yourself. “Will I exercise tomorrow morning?” instead of “I will get up and exercise before work tomorrow”. Research has shown that using questions can help you accomplish tasks you may not enjoy because it makes you feel more in control. Also, don’t commit to an hour long gym session. Instead, tell yourself you will just do it for 20 minutes. Everyone knows the hardest part is getting started and shorter time goals will seem easier. Once you are moving, you will probably find the motivation to keep it going longer.
You can also talk yourself into falling asleep. If you are someone who worries about all the things that need to get done the next day, you need to take time to worry about those things before climbing into bed. A few hours before bedtime, make a list of all the things you want to accomplish the next day and write an action for each item on your list. You won’t have to spend time in bed compiling your mental worry list later. If you are someone who just can’t shut off at night, don’t create more anxiety by telling yourself you can’t fall asleep or that you’ll be up all night. Instead, tell yourself that you’ll fall asleep eventually so you don’t need to worry about it. Distraction techniques, such as counting backwards from 300 by 3′s can keep your mind occupied so that you can’t worry about other things, but it will also bore you to sleep.
