1. I’m Going to Fail

Anyone who is successful has failed at something, but if you’re constantly telling yourself that you are going to fail, then guess what? Chances are high that you will head down that road. Those self-defeating words will actually work against your chances of being successful.

It’s very easy to slip into the habit of putting ourselves down all the time, especially when we find it easier than being positive and optimistic about our life and environment. But even though you might be inclined to say, “I can’t do this,” or “I can’t handle that,” realize that you can handle a lot more than you give yourself credit for.

2. I’m Not Good Enough

When you tell yourself that you’re not good enough before even beginning a task or project, it means that you’re setting yourself up for failure. If your mind is only focused on the fact that it is going to do poorly from the get-go, then that negative mindset will surely come to fruition. It also amplifies this if your boss or one of your colleagues tells you this.

Whatever you’re doing in life, ensure that you believe in your abilities and don’t put negative thoughts on yourself or your chances of success. If something doesn’t go as planned and it seems like the whole world is crashing down around you, remind yourself how good you are and how much you’ve accomplished.

3. I Don’t Deserve _________

Whether it is a promotion, recognition, a bonus, more time off, or even love, or anything else that you want in your life, negative self-talk will only stand in the way of getting what you want. It’s easy to head down that negative path and believe that you don’t deserve good things when these negative thoughts creep up on you. But remember that anything worth having is worth working hard for, and negative self-talk will only make the journey more difficult.

When negative self-talk starts to affect your everyday life, it’s usually a sign that you need to make some changes for the better. Negative thoughts can lead to negative actions, and negative actions almost always lead to negative consequences. The worst thing about negative self-talk is that it can be very disheartening.

It’s usually negative self-talk that makes you feel like giving up on something or making you afraid to even try in the first place, but it is important to realize that negative thoughts are far from reality. Just because negative self-talk tells you nothing will work out for you, it doesn’t mean that it’s true.

4. I Can’t Stop __________

The negative things we tell ourselves can be a real barrier to success if we’re not careful. If you’re constantly telling yourself that you can’t do something, or can’t stop a bad habit, then more than likely you will not. Once your mind is set on something, it will stay there unless you change your mindset.

Negative self-talk will affect every area of your life if you let it, even your health, so it’s important to catch yourself when you hear these negative thoughts and replace them with positive thoughts/affirmations to yourself. Sometimes it can be difficult to recognize what thoughts are negative because you are so used to thinking negatively. If you can catch yourself telling yourself “I can’t” then you know you need to step back and reevaluate the situation.

5. I’m Not Enough

Whether you call yourself names like “idiot,” or tell yourself negative things like, “I always mess this up,” negative self-talk will only make matters worse. It’s hard to get anything done when you’re constantly negative about yourself and thinking negatively about your abilities. You are enough and you need to have faith in your abilities.

Say positive things to yourself and remind yourself that negative self-talk is never productive. You can’t change your subconscious thoughts, but you can change how often you tell yourself negative things. If you’re not used to thinking positively all the time, it might take some practice, but don’t give up!

If you want to achieve the things you want in your life, negative self-talk is not an option. You can train yourself to stop negative self-talk by establishing a positive dialogue with yourself through meditation and prayer. Listen for your negative thoughts, and block or replace them with positive ones as often as you can catch them. If negative self-talk is holding you back from being your best, it’s time to make a change.

It is important to remember that negative self-talk only makes the journey harder than it has to be, but you can choose to be positive instead. You are enough and deserving of all that life has to offer, so don’t let negative self-talk stand in your way.

While annoying coworkers can be found everywhere, you’ll notice them more in jobs that involve a great deal of teamwork. If you’ve ever worked on a big assignment with someone who didn’t pull their weight or felt like your contributions were going unnoticed, these guys can make even star employees feel burned out and demoralized.

Here are 10 of the most annoying coworkers (in no particular order), and how to deal with them:

1. The Know-It-All

This annoying coworker believes that everything they do is right, and his way is the best/only way. This person will brag about himself, speak over the top of others, and control/dominate meetings by making sure he is always heard first or last. He may come on extremely strong when they first meet you and repeat annoying words such as, “actually,” “honestly,” and “seriously.”

He may also have a condescending tone of voice, and always finds a way to deliver passive-aggressive messages in front of others. They love pointing out others’ mistakes and offering advice, but of course, he never makes any of his own.

The best way to divert this guy is to let them think you agree with him (even when you do not). Take notes in your meetings with him and job down ideas people bring up. Once Mr. Know-It-All turns his attention towards you, he will likely forget who said what and where the idea came from, and you can throw it right back at him.

2. The Loud Talker

This annoying coworker loves to hear himself talk — and the louder, the better. He will have no problem talking over everyone else in a room, or constantly interrupting when others are speaking. He may also be annoying at group social functions by monopolizing conversations and dominating every discussion with his loud voice and constant rambling about himself.

The best way to deal with the Loud Talker is to make eye contact, give him a smile/nod, and walk away if you must. You can also excuse yourself from the conversation — but only if you make it clear that you are not interested in talking further. Or, in the office setting, I just walk away when he’s talking to give myself a break.

3. The Stinky One

This guy does not believe in showers, using deodorant, brushing his teeth, or washing his clothes. It makes you wonder if he wears the same underwear every day too. Every time he walks past you, his body odor smell instantly makes you want to hurl. On top of that, he’s always the one to make gross noises and digs his nose. If you don’t have to work closely with him, that’s great, but if you are near him a lot, you need to ask him nicely to take care of his hygiene. Personally, this is probably the most challenging one I’ve come across.

4. The Overworked Martyr

The Overworked Martyr is too busy to complete the tasks he was assigned. If you ask him for help on a project, he will probably say “yes,” but in the end, you end up doing it yourself. On top of that, he loves to play the one-upper and brag about how he has 500 emails to go through before lunch and say, “I have so, so, so much to do, I just can’t take on another thing,” or “I am so stressed.” When you might “only” have your minor 50 emails, and you will not get the last word in before he has even more tasks to brag about. It’s best to just agree and say, “ok, then you better back to it!”

5. The Butt Kisser

This coworker will sacrifice his friendships with others to gain brownie points with the boss. He will act like your best friend one day and then go report you to your boss behind your back, just so he can look good in front of his superior. This guy will also steal your ideas and take credit for your work. The best way to deal with the Butt Kisser is to just cut your losses and do not trust him at all.

6. The Gossip Queen

This annoying coworker has no boundaries, so she will talk about you behind your back to get information for her “inside” stories. She loves to dish out dirt on everyone else in the office, and a master of office gossip, and loves nothing more than to talk about other people’s personal lives or share details of a big corporate shake-down. It may be harmless at first, but, likely, she will accidentally reveal information that’s not meant for public consumption. You do not have to take all of her dirty talks, so it’s best to just keep the path clear by keeping your distance.

7. The Pen Clicker

There are people with nervous ticks that just click their pen all day long — and especially in a quiet room, all you hear is clicking and it’s annoying as hell. It is maddening and you just want to grab that pen and shove it where the sun doesn’t shine! I’ve realized that sometimes people are oblivious to the fact that they are doing this, but other times they are doing this to be annoying. In either case, it’s best to just tell them nicely to stop annoying you with their pen clicking.

8. The Clock Watcher

This annoying coworker will keep checking the time and looking at the clock often — especially when people get up from their desks. Even if you just get up to use the bathroom or take a break, he might log the time you got up and sat back down. This annoying behavior will make you feel like they are trying to tell you how long your breaks should be and that perhaps you shouldn’t be allowed to use the bathroom or grab a coffee. You do not have to be mean or say something snarky, but it’s best to just ignore him.

9. The Unethical Boss

This boss will do whatever it takes to get ahead. He will bend the rules, work his employees to the bone, and even possibly ask them to do illegal or unethical things that break rules and laws just to get ahead. And, if anything goes wrong, this annoying boss will turn right around and blame you for what happened then find ways of punishing you for it. To deal with this bad boss, you must report him immediately to your higher boss or Human Resources. Sometimes they will not listen or believe you, but that’s a whole other problem.

10. The Needy One

This gal is always asking for favors that she thinks you just can’t say no to. You will be a pushover if you give in, and then end up resenting her for it afterwards. For example, if she asks you for a ride because her car is being worked on, but then she argues with you that you are driving the wrong route when you know you are driving the correct route.

So the next time she asks for a favor, you do not have to be rude or unhelpful, but you can certainly assert yourself and say no. If she doesn’t get the hint, just politely suggest that you would prefer to focus on work projects instead of favors.

If at least one annoying coworker has ruined your day, then we’ve got good news: You don’t have to put up with annoying people. Dealing with annoying people inside and outside of work is tough, but it is not impossible. As irritating as they can be, just remember that your annoying colleagues are probably really just insecure or unconfident.

You can deal with their annoying behavior more effectively by looking at the root of the behaviors and working out how to accept them. There are annoying people in every workplace and it is important to learn how to deal with them at work and avoid them without sounding like a jerk yourself.