Most of us talk to yourself throughout the day at some point in our life, whether you’re aware of it or not everything from “I’m going to be late!” to “I love this dress” to “I’m so behind at work” has likely crossed your mind pretty often.
It turns out that expressing some inner thoughts out loud has some health benefits. So go ahead, talk to yourself. You’re not crazy, we promise. Here are some benefits of talking to yourself:
Eases loneliness
Talking to yourself could help diminish loneliness, says Aniesa M. Schneberger, MA, LMHC at Tampa Life Change. “It can be a comforting reaction to help fill a quiet place with the noise of your own voice when you’re alone,” she explains. When to worry? When you start having debates with yourself. Schneberger says this could be indicative of abnormal behavior that warrants speaking with a professional.
Keeps you organized
“All right. Today we’ll go to the vet, grocery store, and visit Betty. Vet, store, Betty…” Talking to yourself about an agenda allows you to stay on track. “The mind can only process one task at a time even though we think we are multitasking,” says Julia Breur, PhD, a licensed clinical psychotherapist in Boca Raton, Florida. Enter talking to yourself. “We can be walking, driving, or preparing a meal when all of a sudden we are verbally responding to our thoughts, also known as ‘talking to ourselves.’” Doing this, she explains, helps your mind to sort through the day’s clutter so you can better prioritize.
Helps you find objects faster
A study conducted by researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Pennsylvania found that talking to yourself helps you find items quicker. They learned that when people uttered the very word they were looking for while they were in the midst of searching for it, their ability to locate it faster increased compared to those who didn’t repeat the particular word. There’s a reason you may walk around the house saying, “phone, where are you, phone?” as you search every room for the missing device it works.
Help your child learn
If you have young children, lifehack.org explains that talking to yourself in their presence can help them learn about language. It’s simple: Since they tend to absorb information like a sponge and often repeat what they overhear, children pick up on your vocal inflection, syntax, and even vocabulary. In turn, this becomes a learning experience. So go ahead and keep a running dialogue of what you’re doing, be it emptying the dishwasher or putting on makeup.
Diminishes stress
The next time you’re feeling stressed about something, considering talking to yourself. It’s a normal way to cope with stress and anxiety, and helps alleviate pressures in life, says Dr. Breur. Doing so serves as a kind of pep talk; the sound of your own voice essentially acts as a reaffirming behavior, reinforcing that something is indeed doable. As a result, you’re less likely to hold thoughts in (because you’re speaking them to yourself) and more apt to voice concerns and feel more confident during stressful times.
Helps you solve problems independently
Compared to people who don’t talk to themselves, people who do have been found to solve problems on their own with greater ease. Lifehack.org maintains that this is because when a problem arises, it’s common to run the issue by a friend or family member. However, when you talk to yourself about a problem rather than rely on others for solutions, you’re more likely to become more independent. Listening to your own voice can boost your confidence and make you more effective at problem-solving.
Increase intelligence
Talking to yourself, Dr. Sapadin says, can help bolster your intelligence by organizing your thoughts and honing in on important tasks. However, it’s essential that you speak respectfully to yourself. She explains that negative phrases such as “You idiot!” should be eliminated because it’s worse than not talking to yourself at all.
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