STUDIES SHOWTHIRD-PERSON SELF-TALK IS THE MOST EFFECTIVE Are You Giving Yourself Bad Pep Talks?
If you’re into reading self-improvement or business books, you’re probably already familiar with the concept of positive self- talk — which is the practice of talking to yourself inside your own head. Psychologist Dr. Karissa Thacker is one proponent of the concept, and was featured in an Entrepreneur magazine article claiming the practice can “boost confidence, regulate emotions and improve overall mood and performance.” We’re on team self-talk, too, and Brandon has used it throughout his career to combat self-doubt and negative thoughts. And here’s the thing, science supports the results if you do it right. According to a study conducted in the Emotional and Self-Control Lab at the University of Michigan, not all self-talk is created equal. The study found that compared with first-person self-talk (sentences using the “I” pronoun, ex. “I am
powerful”), third-person self-talk (sentences using the “you” pronoun, ex. “ You are powerful”) is more effective when it comes to enhancing self-control and keeping emotions in check. In other words, if you’re psyching yourself up before you go on stage to give a speech, whispering, “You can do this” inside your head will stave off a breakdown more effectively than thinking, “I can do this.” The theory, according to Psychology Today, is that using third-person pronouns creates more distance between your emotional self and your situation. By addressing yourself the same way you’d address someone else, you can keep what’s happening in perspective, increasing your self-control. A study at the MSU Clinical Psychophysiology Lab backed this up when it found that “emotional distress” dropped when third- personal self-talk was used.
In the Psychology Today article, author and athlete Christopher Bergland reports using the technique to great success during an endurance footrace. “Instead of psyching myself out by having a defeatist first-person monologue such as: ‘There's no way I can make it to the finish line. My body is overheating and the soles of my feet are on fire. I can't take it anymore. I have to stop,’ I would flip the script of my silent inner dialogue and talk to myself (like a broken record) in a bold, third-person coaching voice: 'You can do this, Chris! You've lived through other painful experiences in your life, you'll live through this. Don't give up now,’” he writes. Next time you’re giving yourself a pep talk, try this trick out for yourself. It just might change everything.
PESTO CHICKEN WITH BLISTERED TOMATOES
Inspired by CookingLight.com
"IF YOU FIND YOURSELF IN A FAIR FIGHT YOU DID NOT PLAN PROPERLY."
INGREDIENTS
• 2 1/2 tbsp olive oil, divided • 4 boneless and skinless chicken breasts, pounded to a 1-inch thickness • Salt and pepper to taste • 1/4 cup whole-wheat panko • 2 tbsp Parmesan cheese • 1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• 6 tbsp spinach pesto • 2 cups cherry tomatoes • 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced • 1 tsp red wine vinegar
–David Hackworth
DIRECTIONS
1. In a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat, add 1 tbsp olive oil.
2. Season chicken with salt and pepper, and add it to pan. Cook chicken for 5 minutes on each side, then remove pan from heat. 3. In a bowl, combine panko, Parmesan cheese, and butter. 4. Spread pesto over chicken and top with panko mixture. 5. Broil chicken for 2 minutes on high heat until browned. 6. In a skillet, heat remaining oil over medium-high heat. 7. Add tomatoes and cook for 6 minutes. 8. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. 9. Season tomato mixture with salt and pepper, and add red wine vinegar. 10. Serve tomatoes with broiled chicken.
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