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femme yoga image by jerome berquez from Fotolia.com

Intrapersonal communication is the process of talking to oneself. (Interpersonal communication is the communication between two or more individuals.) Whether we realize it or not, we all have constant internal dialogues going on within ourselves either consciously or subconsciously.

Our internal communications are very important as they play vital roles in determining our self-esteem and self-perception. If you apply yourself, it is possible to improve your intrapersonal communication to assist in altering and improving both of these, thereby improving your confidence and therefore your quality of life.

Improving Intrapersonal Communication

Realize the effect that your internal conversations may have on you and your personal well-being. Listen to your self-talk and be aware of your internal dialogue and whether it is positive or negative. Negative self-talk can drain a person of energy and motivation while positive dialogues can empower a person with higher self-esteem and an elevated self-perception.

Visualization techniques are a form of intrapersonal communication and are used by many athletes. They are thoughts on how you would like certain situations to be in the future and can be a strong and effective tool in creating your world through thought.

Monitor your thought on an ongoing basis. This will take some practice as most people are used to letting thoughts run randomly through their minds. Be aware of negative thoughts and immediately replace them with positive ones.

Change the way you think by applying cue words to eliminate negative thoughts from intruding. For example, if you are worried about taking a test, every time the thought crosses your mind that you are going to fail, firmly say or think the word "cancel" or "stop." Refuse to let these thoughts intrude on your thought process by immediately putting the brakes on negative self-talk.

More tangible ways of positive self-talk can be accomplished through meditation, prayer, affirmations, and journalling.

Observe the difference that intrapersonal communication makes in your day-to-day life. You will become calmer, more peaceful and less concerned with trivial matters. You will achieve a more positive outlook on life and have more confidence in your abilities. Criticisms and opinions of others will cease to have bearing on your own self-perception.

Maintain the process on an ongoing basis. It will require constant monitoring at first but with practice and in time, it will become second nature to you. The more positive self-talk you can stimulate in your mind, the better your self-image and the results of that improved image will be.