self-talk
noun
: 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
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
Thomas J. NardiNeil Fiore, a motivational speaker … says the road to timely tax filing can be reached with a little positive self-talk.—Kris Frieswick
Kris FrieswickExamples of self-talk in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Predictive processing offers a new way of understanding the science of self-talk.
—Alex Hutchinson, Outside Online, 26 June 2024
How many were there? ▸ 7 min — with
Rutger Bregman
The Well
How to stop toxic self-talk, explained in 6 minutes
If your inner voice is cruel, try these steps to reclaim your mind.
—Big Think, 24 June 2024
High-achieving professionals may cope by procrastinating or engaging in negative self-talk.
—Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 21 June 2024
No time for negative self-talk, no time for getting in one’s own way.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 30 May 2024
Her positive self-talk encourages not only her, but those around her to achieve great things.
—Marcus Reichley, The Arizona Republic, 27 May 2024
Think about how your identity, relationships, career path, and self-talk are all impacting your future self during this transition—and recalibrate as necessary.
—Meghan Rose, Glamour, 1 Apr. 2024
Positive self-talk can stop catastrophic mind chatter that causes anxiety and keep you calm in stressful situations.
—Bryan Robinson, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
Research shows that positive self-talk can have beneficial effects on emotional and mental health, performance and relationships, while negative self-talk can damage a person’s self-esteem, self-worth and belief in their abilities.
—Kazuyoshi Hisano, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024
Alex Hutchinson, Outside Online, 26 June 2024
How many were there? ▸ 7 min — with
Rutger Bregman
The Well
How to stop toxic self-talk, explained in 6 minutes
If your inner voice is cruel, try these steps to reclaim your mind.
—Big Think, 24 June 2024
High-achieving professionals may cope by procrastinating or engaging in negative self-talk.
—Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 21 June 2024
No time for negative self-talk, no time for getting in one’s own way.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 30 May 2024
Her positive self-talk encourages not only her, but those around her to achieve great things.
—Marcus Reichley, The Arizona Republic, 27 May 2024
Think about how your identity, relationships, career path, and self-talk are all impacting your future self during this transition—and recalibrate as necessary.
—Meghan Rose, Glamour, 1 Apr. 2024
Positive self-talk can stop catastrophic mind chatter that causes anxiety and keep you calm in stressful situations.
—Bryan Robinson, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
Research shows that positive self-talk can have beneficial effects on emotional and mental health, performance and relationships, while negative self-talk can damage a person’s self-esteem, self-worth and belief in their abilities.
—Kazuyoshi Hisano, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'self-talk.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near self-talk
Cite this Entry
“Self-talk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-talk. Accessed 4 Jul. 2024.
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