Do you ever feel like there are two people in your head? Does it sometimes feel like they argue or don’t like each other?

When we help our inner selves work together, it can help us feel happier and more confident.

Here’s three ways to try it:

Use respect.
If you’re ever angry at yourself when you feel you’ve made a mistake, you’re not alone. But have you noticed how we can talk to ourselves inside our heads in a way we would never speak to anyone else?

Being harsh with yourself can leave you feeling very low. You’d try to challenge anyone who called you a name or said you were stupid, wouldn’t you? So do the same when you find you’re thinking those things about yourself too.

If you find yourself thinking about something you did wrong, do what you’d do for a friend and shift the conversation to the thing that went right. Forgive yourself, figure out what you might learn from what happened, and feel good that you’re growing.

Listen.
You may have heard that talking to yourself is a sign of madness. But it turns out it’s actually very healthy. It helps us organise our thoughts, plan ahead and control ourselves.

So try listening to your inner voice and have a conversation with her! As you get up in the morning, or go to bed at night, listen to your thoughts. If you have nagging worries don’t push them aside. We all have worries. If a friend came to us with a worry we’d ask: why are you worried, what are you afraid will happen? Is there a real danger? If there was real danger we’d say trust yourself. If not, we’d say be brave and push past your fear. We should offer ourselves the same kindness we’d offer our friends. If we believe they have the power to overcome their fears, why can’t we tackle our own?

Take your own advice.
Think about a piece of advice you’d like to give to someone. Write it down, wait a few minutes, then read it back. Can you honestly say you’re following that advice yourself?

It can often feel much easier to give advice than take it. And when we feel in need of good advice ourselves, we’re often more inspired by what other people do than what they say.

Try living out your own advice and you’ll inspire others even more than with your wise words. It’s great to inspire others, as it makes us happier and stronger in ourselves.