Beating yourself up is not the secret motivator it is sold as, but two kinds of negative self-talk help: for anxious people, rehearsing what could go wrong sharpens preparation, and talking to yourself by name rather than as I turns spiraling worry into steadier self-coaching

The phrase “use negative self-talk to your advantage” usually smuggles in a bad idea: that being harsh with yourself is secretly motivating, that the inner drill sergeant is the thing keeping you sharp. It is worth saying plainly, up front, that the evidence …