Do you talk to yourself? I do it frequently, especially in stressful situations. Moreover, self-talk helps me reflect on my situation. Recently, one of my biggest mindshifts was realizing that actively using a diverse vocabulary can boost personal growth simply by focusing on the words I choose and emphasize.
What you’ll find inside:
Vocabulary is a brain filter of your sense
According to studies an average adult vocabulary consists of about 20.00 – 35.000 words. But not only the number of known words matters, also how well you know those words and actively you make use of is important.
The epiphany like mind shift I had was while reading Tony Robbins about „Power Principles“. In his book he presents the idea of words as filters between your brain and all your senses. This totally makes sense, because while I’m thinking about this post as I write, and I’m using words to sort out my thoughts. The same applies to almost all thinking processes you and I do.If your vocabulary consists of a relatively small set of words, it limits the ways you can transform sensory inputs into meaningful information for your brain.
If this explanation is to theoretical for you, let us conduct an experiment:
„Describe how crocodile meat taste?“ If you had the chance to taste it, you might most likely say that it tastes like chicken. (Ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tastes_like_chicken) while the more accurate description is likened to turtle or quail. There are several possible explanations for this, but the most obvious is, that we don’t have the right words to describe this tasteful experience. Our brains take a shortcut by referencing what is most familiar to us, similar to the “tastes like chicken” cliché.
How vocabulary is influencing your reality
Since all of as are individuals with unique experiences, each of us has different associations with certain words. This makes us think in a certain way and context. Repeated phrases stick in our brains and manifest in how we feel or behave.
Let us take the word „tired“ as an example. Fatherhood makes me juggle between several conflicting priorities which is sometimes exhausting and in addition I do not get the amount of sleep I need. So when people ask me how I am mostly I answer tired, but actually I feel exhausted to some extent.
Over time, the word tired is associated for me with exhaustion. I observed, that even if think of myself being „just“ tired, my brain filter somehow shortcuts towards exhausted. As if it would be a self-fulfilling prophecy, I begin to feel out of energy and it is getting hard for me to focus on something. This makes my brain repeatedly saying to myself that I am tired, especially when I am a lot „brainwork“ to do, which increased the effect of being out of energy even more.
Experimenting with words to change my perception
Realising that my use of words has a miraculous effect on my brain I started an experiment to bann the word „tired“ out of my vocabulary. As first step I collected a list of synonyms instead: Worn out, fatigue, easy, sleepy, drowsy, spent, jaded. The word sleepy caught my eye as in „in need of sleep or rest“ to substitute my definition of tired.
Every time my brain is telling me, that I am tired I say loud to myself: „I feel sleepy – I’d better get to bed earlier today“. To my experience this calms down my brain in a way, that my focus shifts away from „being tired“-mode towards accepting the fact that I maybe had less sleep or have a lot on my plate and should take it slow. It helps me to break the cycle of repeatedly telling myself how tired I am and move on for the moment. If I keep the promise to myself to get to bed earlier, things are better off the next day.
If words set the baseline for my brain to interpret inputs from my senses, they also limit my experience of the moment.
What impacts your vocabulary
While Reading might be the most obvious action increase your vocabulary, it is not the only one. The breadth and depth of vocabulary depends on multiple factors. One of them is the people you are communicating with on regular basis. If these people tend to use a lot of negative flavored words because they are constantly complaining, swearing or verbal aggressive, chances are high that you also accommodate these words in your everyday use.
Learning another language can also make you more cautious about the words you know and what they mean. Also taking into consideration that different languages have unique expressions due to cultural experiences. For example the Spanish word „enmadrarse“ is often used to describe children who are emotionally attached to their mothers.
Habits to improve your vocabulary
1. Reflective Language Practice
- Habit: Set aside time each day, whether it’s morning or evening, to write in a journal. This dedicated practice allows for thoughtful reflection on your thoughts, experiences, and the language you use.
- How it works: By being conscious of your language, you can ensure that your vocabulary reflects a positive and constructive mindset. Use your journal as a space to explore how specific words affect your emotions and actions. Write about recent events or feelings using different vocabulary sets (e.g., positive vs. negative) and notice any shifts in perception. Over time, this awareness helps shape a more optimistic reality.
- Benefits: Encourages positivity and resilience, improves communication skills, and fosters healthier relationships.
2. Expand Your Lexicon:
- Habit: Dedicate time each week to learning new words and concepts.
- How it works: Deliberately expand your vocabulary by reading diverse materials, using a thesaurus, or engaging in language games. Understanding and incorporating more precise and varied terms into your daily use can enhance clarity and creativity in expressing thoughts and emotions.
- Benefits: Increases cognitive flexibility, enhances problem-solving skills, and improves self-expression.
3. Engage in Positive Self-Talk:
- Habit: Routinely replace negative internal dialogue with positive affirmations or constructive language.
- How it works: Whenever you catch yourself engaging in self-criticism or doubt, consciously choose more empowering words. Practice gratitude and focus on strengths rather than weaknesses. This can be done through journaling, meditation, or verbal affirmations.
- Benefits: Boosts self-esteem, reduces stress and anxiety, and creates a more optimistic outlook on life.
Conclusion
- We use words to sort out thoughts. Our brain uses our vocabulary as filter on the input from all our senses.
- Observe what words you are repeating and if they have a self-fulfilling prophecy effect.
- Our associations with words is based on individual experiences and give them positive and negative vibe.
- Experiment with synonyms to break a repeating cycle negative effects word have how your brain interprets your moment.
- Be cautious of your environment and the words used and respective feelings and behaviours caused
Further readings:
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