"The Brain is Like Velcro for Negative Experiences . . .

" and teflon for positive ones," says Whitney Joiner in her 9/2011article in Whole Living Magazine. The brain tends to hoard the negative stuff forever, or until we take action to eliminate it, and lets the positive slip-slide away. I think of the negative thought as a woodpecker who flies in to our minds, makes a nest, raises her kids and keeps pecking away — while the positive thought is a a tiny hummingbird that flutters  in and out of our mind in a second.

If you've been a regular to this blog, you know that there are hundreds of ways to reduce or eliminate the nasty negative self-talk. Joiner suggests:

• Don't believe the negative self-talk. It's not reality.
• Staying focused in the moment.

She also quotes Schwartz and Gladding's book, You're Not Your Brain, which suggests:

• Relabel — notice  and instead of believing it, call it what it is — negative self-talk.
• Reframe — remind yourself the NST is just your brain acting habitually, not telling you truths.
• Refocus —  on anything that will distract you.
• Revalue — recognize that the negative thoughts have no value. They're worthless.

September is back to school month. I'm suggesting going back to school for getting rid of negative self-talk so 2012 can start with NO NST.
If you're still looking for the silver bullet that will do the job for you, check out any and all previous intelligentwomenonly.com blogs about negative self-talk, problem-solving, techniques, detachment or cognitive restructuring. And get yourself a new sharp pencil and a bright, shiny notebook to start anew on the project.

PS No link to Joiner's article because the online magazine availability only goes through 2010.