Do you talk to yourself when you work? Or speak to yourself when you’re frustrated with a situation? Regardless, talking to yourself is something we all take part in, to some degree.
However, you could be wondering what has caused you to start talking to yourself in the first place, or you might be thinking: “is talking to yourself healthy?” In today’s article, we’ll share our thoughts on why it’s beneficial and normal!
Is It Normal to Talk to Yourself
Talking to yourself is a normal process. Many of us do it to think critically, brainstorm, or regulate emotions better. Whether you do it through inner dialogue or speaking out loud, talking to yourself can help you in many ways.
However, there are situations where speaking out loud might be less than ideal. It’s best to engage in self-talk when you’re alone. Doing it in particular situations and areas could cause disturbance and distractions to the people around you.
Why Do People Do It? Are There Benefits?
There’s a variety of reasons people might engage in self-talk. It could help them concentrate better, think more critically, or even problem solve. Some of the benefits of self-talk might include:
- Increased focus
- Reduced stress
- Personal check-ins
- Increased motivation
- Improved critical thinking
How to Make the Most of It
There are different forms of self-talk and some have the potential to affect us negatively. Doing your best to stay away from negative self-talk and focus more on the neutral or positive side of things will go a long way for you.
Here are a few ways to make the most out of your self-talk:
- Stay positive, correct yourself when you speak negatively.
- Emphasize your strengths. Focus on what you did well and where you continue to grow.
- Refer to yourself by name. This may help create distance, allowing you to process the conversation easier.
How to Stop Talking To Yourself and Control It
Sometimes self-talk could interfere with your life in different ways. Whether you find it overbearing sometimes, or find yourself doing it in moments that aren’t ideal. There are a few ways you can work to control or stop doing it.
Keeping a journal close by can help you transfer your self-talk onto paper. This could help you stop expressing things out loud, while allowing you to reap the benefits of self-talk through written word.
Overall, using a journal may help you organize your thought process, manage stress and anxiety and it could even help you identify the certain situations that cause you to talk to yourself in the first place. From there, you can better manage your reactions to situations or simply reduce your exposure to them altogether.
You could also try asking the people around you questions instead of trying to problem-solve through your own words. Distracting your mouth in some way may also help; try chewing a piece of gum or candy!
Is It Ok to Talk to Yourself? When Should You Be Concerned?
Overall, talking to yourself isn’t really a concern. It can help you concentrate, process things better and regulate emotions more effectively. However, there are situations where self-talk could be a concern. If it’s done because of certain hallucinations, it could be a sign of schizophrenia.
The best way to gauge this is to understand it has to come with the awareness that you’re speaking to yourself, and no one else!
You could self-talk for many reasons, and one of them may be to process your thoughts. Sometimes our thoughts can be overburdening, and they caninterrupt our lives and affect us negatively. Meditating is one way to deal with overthinking and overindulging in self-talk. Calm your mind, and find your peace, meditate with BetterSleep today!
