I think we all assume that negative self-talk is bad, but the research is actually somewhat mixed. As in, there are some studies in which negative self-talk is associated with the same or better performance. How could that be? Well, a recent study suggests that the answer may lie in how we respond to this inner critic. And there might be a simple tweak we can make to our inner dialogue that could help us become more resilient in the face of the bully that lives in our head. How to Keep the Critic in Your Head From Wrecking Your Practice Session