Is it Normal to Talk to Yourself? Psychology Research Explained
Discover the psychology behind talking to yourself and why it is considered normal. Uncover the reasons why we engage in self-talk daily and explore the significance of what we say to ourselves in everyday situations.
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Video Transcript
As your morning alarm blares, you mutter to yourself,
why did I set it so early?
While brushing your teeth, you think, I need a haircut.
Unless...
Rushing out the front door, you reach for your keys
and realize they're not there.
Frustrated, you shout, I can't do anything right!
Just in time to notice your neighbor.
Being caught talking to your neighbor
to yourself can feel embarrassing.
And some people even stigmatize this behavior as a sign of mental instability.
But decades of psychology research show that talking to yourself is completely normal.
In fact, most if not all of us engage in some form of self-talk every single day.
So why do we talk to ourselves?
And does what we say matter?
self-talk refers to the new
There's a narration inside your head, sometimes called inner speech.
It differs from mental imagery, recalling facts and figures.
Specifically, psychologists define self-talk as verbalized thoughts
directed toward yourself or some facet of your life.
This includes personal conversations, like,
I need to work on my free throw.
But it also includes reflections you have throughout the day,
like, the gym's crowded tonight. I'll come back tomorrow.
And while most self-talk in adults tends to be silent,
speaking to yourself out loud also falls into this category.
In fact, psychologists believe our first experiences with self-talk are mostly vocal,
as children often speak to themselves out loud as they play.
In the 1930s, Russian psychologist Lev Vygotsky hypothesized that this kind of speech was actually key to development.
By repeating conversations they've had with adults,
children practice managing their behaviors and emotions on their own.
Then, as they grow older, this outward self-talk tends to become internalized, morphing into
a private inner dialogue.
We know this internal self-talk is important and can help you plan, work through difficult
situations, and even motivate you throughout the day.
But studying self-talk can be difficult.
It relies on study subjects clearly tracking a behavior that's spontaneous and often done
without conscious control.
For this reason, scientists are still working to answer basic questions like
why do some people self-talk more than others?
What areas of the brain are activated during self-talk?
And how does this activation differ from normal conversation?
One thing we know for certain, however, is that what you say in these conversations
can have real impact on your attitude and performance.
Engaging in self-talk that's instructional or motivational has been shown to increase focus, boost self-esteem, and improve self-confidence.
and help tackle everyday tasks.
For example, one study of collegiate tennis players
found that incorporating instructional self-talk into practice
increased their concentration and accuracy.
And just as chatting to a friend can help decrease stress,
