Welcome to the Very Well Mind podcast. We've interviewed over 100 authors, experts, entrepreneurs, athletes, musicians, and others to help you learn strategies to care for your mental health.

This episode is hosted by psychotherapist and bestselling author Amy Morin. Now let's get into the episode.

Okay. You're listening to the Friday fix.

Every Friday, I share a quick mental strength exercise that will help fix the thoughts,

emotions, and actions that drain you of the mental strength you need to be your best.

Now, let's dive in today's episode.

Today I'm talking about why you should talk to yourself in the third person.

But first, let me tell a quick story about basketball.

Since I moved to a sailboat in South Florida, I've become a fan of the Miami Heat.

The story isn't about my favorite team,

though, so stick with me, Cleveland Cavaliers fans. I'm talking about mindset here. In 2010,

LeBron James was faced with a tough decision. Should he keep playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers,

the hometown team who built his career? Or should he sign on with the Miami Heat, a much larger market team, even though such a move might be considered a betrayal. When he made the decision,

he held a press conference, and the announcement was broadcast to more than 13 million people

on TV. He had decided to join the Miami Heat. His decision was met with a lot of criticism, though, especially from the owner of the

Cavaliers who said the decision was a cowardly betrayal.

When asked about the decision, James said, I wanted to do what was best for LeBron James

and to do what makes LeBron James happy.

His reference to himself on the third person sparked a whole bunch of speculation on social media.

Some people suspected he'd lost all touch with reality.

Other people thought it was some sort of weird publicity stunt.

But in reality, LeBron was doing exactly what psychotherapists might suggest someone in his shoes do.

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