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Negative Self-Talk: What It Is & How to Respond
Negative self-talk is the harsh, critical, or discouraging inner dialogue that can turn a mistake into a verdict about who you are. The goal is not to pretend everything is wonderful. It is to notice when your thinking becomes unfair, extreme, or unhelpful.
A practical starting point
Try moving from an extreme statement to a balanced one. “I mess everything up” can become “This went badly, and I can decide what to do differently next time.” Neutral or realistic thinking is often more believable than jumping directly to a glowing affirmation.
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Source note: Cleveland Clinic psychologists recommend noticing negative self-talk and moving toward more realistic, balanced thinking rather than assuming every thought is true.