Be Mindful of Your Self-Talk: How Mindful Healing Starts Within

Be Mindful of Your Self-Talk: How Mindful Healing Starts Within

Lisa Marie Bobby, PhD, LMFT, BCC

Dr. Lisa Marie Bobby is a licensed psychologist, licensed marriage and family therapist, board-certified coach, AAMFT clinical supervisor, host of the Love, Happiness, and Success Podcast and founder of Growing Self.

Have you ever told yourself, “I’m anxious” or “I’m burned out” — only to realize later those words didn’t fully capture what was happening inside? We all reach for certain labels to explain our emotions, but often those words are vague, borrowed, or incomplete. When the language is off, our path to mindful healing gets fuzzy too.

This is where mindfulness comes in. You might have heard someone say, “Be mindful!”, but what does being mindful mean exactly? And how can being mindful help with healing? When you’re mindful of the words you use to describe your emotions, you create clarity, compassion, and a stronger foundation for healing. In this episode of the Love, Happiness & Success podcast, I’m joined by Case Kenny — author, creator, and mindfulness expert — to explore how mindful language can change the way you feel about yourself, your relationships, and your life.

Why You Must Be Mindful of Your Words

Case has built his work around a simple truth: be mindful of the way you talk to yourself and it will change everything. When you’re mindful about the words you choose, you uncover what’s really happening beneath the surface.

Instead of vague “forest words” like anxious or overwhelmed, you can use more precise “tree words” — insecure, uninspired, left out, rushed. Once you name the emotion accurately, mindful healing begins. It’s not just semantics. Naming your emotions with clarity is a practice of mindfulness, helping you move forward with optimism and self-compassion.

Be Mindful Through Journaling

One of the most practical ways to be mindful is through journaling. Case suggests a powerful reframe: instead of writing “I am anxious,” write “a part of me feels anxious.” That small shift creates space between you and the emotion, making mindful healing possible.

Writing prompts can help you uncover what’s underneath your first automatic thought. For example, burnout might actually be uninspired. Overwhelmed might really be unsupported. Be mindful about naming emotions precisely and you’ll gain the clarity to work with them — and remember they are temporary.

Mindful Healing in Relationships

Mindfulness doesn’t stop with your inner world. It also shapes how you connect with others.

Case and I discussed how phrases like “settling down” carry hidden meanings. If you want love to feel expansive, what happens when you reframe it as “settling up” instead? Being mindful of language shifts the way you think about connection.
It also helps with what I call “dark emotions” in relationships — resentment, insecurity, or loneliness. When you choose to be mindful of these emotions and bring them into conversation, conflict can transform into connection. That’s mindful healing in action.