Kross believes quieting your internal cynic is an effective approach because doing so reduces the negative effects that we explored in the previous section. However, quieting your internal cynic isn’t the only way of managing your negative self-talk: Some experts argue that you should spend time processing

If negative self-talk reduces your access to your skills, as Kross claims, is the opposite also true—that positive self-talk makes you more skillful? Research suggests that the answer is yes. For instance, a recent study found that basketball players who engage in positive self-talk make more free throw shots compared to players who don’t.... See more

Summon honest, optimistic thoughts to “talk back to” your negative self-talk. For instance, imagine that a publisher rejected your manuscript. You may think, “I’ll never be a writer.” To combat this, summon a more honest, optimistic thought: “A lot of writers face rejections early in their career. I’ll keep sending my work to publishers—maybe... See more

Question your internal cynic’s negative words. First, write down your stream of negative self-talk. Then, evaluate what you wrote down by asking how true each statement is. This technique helps you identify negative self-talk that’s overly critical or exaggerated.