They quash negative self-talk. A big step in improving one’s emotional intelligence involves stopping negative self-talk in its tracks. When you ruminate on negative thoughts, you are giving them the power to overpower you. Most of our negative thoughts are just that—thoughts, not facts. You can stop the negative and pessimistic inner voices by writing them down. Once you’ve taken a moment to slow down the negative momentum of your thoughts, you will be more rational and clear-headed in evaluating their veracity. You can bet that your statements aren’t true any time you use words such as “never,” “worst,” and “ever.” If your statements still look like facts once they’re on paper, take them to a friend and see if he or she agrees with you. Then the truth will surely come out.