self-talk

noun

ˌself-ˈtȯk 

: 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

Neil Fiore, a motivational speaker … says the road to timely tax filing can be reached with a little positive self-talk.

—Kris Frieswick

Examples of self-talk in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Negative self-talk: Self-criticism undermines confidence and happiness. —Nel-Olivia Waga, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025

The Cancer Full Moon asks you to be gentle and nurturing in your self-talk. —Colin Bedell, Them, 9 Jan. 2025

Practice kind internal self-talk to calm your anxiety. —Sandy Cohen, Los Angeles Times, 7 Jan. 2025

Oppressive self-talk—such as should, must, need-to and have-to—triggers oppositional feelings and reduces goal motivation, driving our actions accordingly. —Bryan Robinson, Forbes, 1 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1737, in the meaning defined above