Negative self-talk is one of the most debilitating aspects of stress. A surprisingly powerful technique is to bring that self-talk out into the open and to spin it in a positive direction.¶¶A series of studies at the University of Michigan finds that pre-performance pep talks can help us view a potentially stressful situation as an opportunity rather than as a threat. Interestingly, the research says we can gain valuable psychological distance by referring to ourselves by our first name or in the second person “you” rather than the first person “I.”¶¶In the end, this is one of many ways you can train yourself to become your own coach—which is a big theme of my work as an executive wellness coach.