Can a ‘power phrase’ turn a spineless worm like me into a go-getter? I doubt it – but it’s worth a shot | Emma Beddington

The psychotherapist Amy Morin says uttering a ‘short, positive sentence’ can offer the cognitive reset we need.

The idea makes me cringe – but then I can barely cope with returning defective trousers

Are you dreading a high-stakes meeting, a challenging professional task or an awkward conversation?

I’m not, because I’m a craven coward who has dodged that kind of unpleasantness for years.

If only I had a “power phrase” to activate, maybe things would have been different.

That is the https://www.businessinsider.com/amy-morin-mental-strength-two-minute-reset-power-phrase-2026-7">psychotherapist Amy Morin’s advice for dealing with sticky situations.

The author of The Mental Strength Playbook, Morin explained in Business Insider that a “short, positive sentence you say to yourself in the moment” is an effective two-minute cognitive reset.

She used hers, she says, while answering challenging questions to land her book deal: “I activated my power phrase and told myself, I’m a strong, straightforward communicator.”