self-talk

noun

\ ˌself-ˈtȯk

Definition of self-talk

: talk or thoughts directed at oneself As we push through the pain during a race, it's natural to talk to ourselves. It's also natural to have an unpleasant conversation. Studies show that both negative and positive self-talk influence performance—you can guess which works best. — Bicycling … let's say a student said, "I'm having trouble learning these new techniques." The first thing I would do is probe into his self-talk. He's probably thinking, "I shouldn't be having so much trouble."— Thomas J. Nardi, Ph.D. Neil Fiore, a motivational speaker … says the road to timely tax filing can be reached with a little positive self-talk.— Kris Frieswick