Self-Talk

Goals

1. Describe self-talk.
   
2. Maximize healthy self-talk while minimizing unhealthy.

What

Self-talk is the ongoing stream of thoughts, words, and phrases you say to yourself in your mind. It can be supportive, encouraging, and constructive (healthy self-talk) or critical, discouraging, and destructive (unhealthy self-talk).

Why

Self-talk influences how you feel, how you perform, and how you respond to challenges. Healthy self-talk builds confidence, focus, and persistence. Unhealthy self-talk can create self-doubt, anxiety, and hesitation. Learning to manage self-talk helps you stay motivated, make better decisions, and recover more quickly from setbacks.

How

1. Notice your self-talk by paying attention to the words and tone you use in your thoughts.
   
2. Label whether the self-talk is healthy or unhealthy.
   
3. Challenge and reframe unhealthy self-talk into realistic, constructive statements.
   
4. Practice healthy self-talk daily to make it automatic, especially during challenging situations.
   
5. Use cues such as breathing, posture, and environment changes to reset and refocus your internal dialogue.