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Psychology
Treat Your Negative Self-Thoughts Like Mildew: Scrub Daily
I live in a Mad Men house, built in 1961.
It has a hidden wet bar, a record player built into the wall, and BONUS! a very pink bathroom. The entire shower stall, ceiling included, is covered in 4" pink tiles — the perfect growing conditions for mildew.
One morning I found myself lathering up in a mildew grotto. I had let the dread of a big clean-up job create an even BIGGER cleaning job, until disgust overcame dread.
I don’t want to start my day with dread.
Now I scrub one wall every time I step in the shower. The task is small and quick, and I feel good about myself. The trick was to make it a habit by doing it every single time without fail. I waste no energy gauging my dread, measuring mildew growth or deciding I’m not in the mood.
Why not do the same with your negative self-talk?
Scrub the mildew growing on your self-acceptance as you’re scrubbing those shower tiles (or whatever daily cleaning habit you have). Make it a daily habit to get rid of crappy self-talk and shitty thoughts, and you will build unshakeable self-acceptance. Making it physical helps the habit stick in our brains.
