A recent NPR story, "Why Saying is Believing - The Science of Self-Talk," introduced the notion that self-talk might be more than just a self-help cliche.
Recent research has found that addressing yourself in the second or third person (e.g, "you can do this" or "Robert can do this") is more helpful than using the first-person, "I." Participants in a study who used the pronoun "I" ended up doubting themselves and inducing stress whereas the use of "you" or their own names led to more positive support and advice.
The strategy, in essence, allows you to get distance from yourself and utilize more rational decision-making strategies. In other words, it helps regulate one's emotional response! This is an easy and helpful strategy for managing everyday stress. It also is a powerful way to address major life decisions. Pretty cool!