Self Talk (from http://www.alleydog.com/ )

The following is from http://www.alleydog.com/glossary/definition.php?term=Self%20Talk

Self Talk: Self Talk refers to the ongoing internal conversation with ourselves, which influences how we feel and behave.

For example, you find yourself in a traffic jam while rushing to work one morning. You self-talk could be pessimistic and you might think, "My whole day is ruined. If I don't get to work on time, I'll never hear the end of it. My boss will think that I'm no good and will surely pass me up for that promotion I've been working all year for." You will then start your day in a bad mood and feel demotivated thinking that there's no point in working hard since you already ruined your chances for a promotion.

On the other hand, you could have a more positive self-talk and think, "I'll probably be no more than ten minutes late. I guess I'll just have to take a quick lunch instead of going out to eat. If I can turn in my report before the end of the day and make sure that it's error-free, I might still have a chance to get that promotion."

Your thoughts and you

Info source:
http://medschool.ucsf.edu/latino/pdf/CBTDEN/instructor/thoughts1.pdf

• By “thoughts” we mean “sentences we tell ourselves.” (“Self talk”)

• At any point in time, we may have several thoughts, some of which we are aware of and many of which we are probably not aware of.

• Thoughts can have positive or negative effects on you.

• Thoughts can affect your body.

For example, when you have upsetting thoughts, your body may tense up.

• Thoughts can affect your actions (the way you behave or react to situations).

For example, if you go into a situation where you think “they won’t like me” you are
likely to behave in an uncomfortable and awkward way.

• Thoughts can affect your mood. (You will talk more about this later.)