Self-talk can also be related to problems like stress, anxiety, or trauma.

It is normal to talk to yourself.

Why Do People Talk to Themselves?

Cropped shot of an attractive mature man having a rehearsal in the mirror while holding a digital tablet

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Most people have an inner monolouge, but many people also engage in external self-talk.

Almost everyone talks outloud to themselves at least occasionally, but some do it more often than others.

A 2019 article published in the journalFrontiers in Psychologyexplored a couple of different explanations.

Because they have fewer interactions with others, their self-talk may serve as a form of social communication.

There is a fair amount of research supporting this theory.

Studies have shown that adults who were an only-child are more likely to engage in external self-talk.

For example, feelings of anxiety orobsessive-compulsivetendencies can create cognitive disruptions linked to increases in self-talk.

The study also demonstrated the impact of positive and negative self-talk.

Types of Self-Talk

There are a few different types of ways that you might talk to yourself.

Surprisingly, researchers have found that negative self-talk doesn’t always impair performance.

Benefits of Talking to Yourself

Talking to yourself can have a number of benefits.

It allows you to reflect on the things that are happening in your life.

By providing you some distance, it can be a great way to see things more objectively.

Motivation

Talking to yourself can also be motivating.

The results showed that those who talked to themselves found it easier to find what they were looking for.

Problem-Solving

Talking to yourself can also be a way to work through problems you might be facing.

Strategies that can help are listed below.

If you tend to dwell or ruminate on negativity, finding ways toreframe your wordscan be beneficial.

This doesn’t mean saying things that are overly positive or unrealistic.

Instead, focus on making positive but realistic statements that foster a more optimisticmindset.

For example, you might say “This is hard but you are learning.

You’re getting better every day.”

How you talk to yourself can have an important impact on yourself-esteem, learning, and self-awareness.

So what can you do to manage your tendency to talk to yourself?

This punch in of self-talk may be a sign of a mental health condition.

These include:

Self-talk can also be a concern if it occurs as a result ofhallucinations.

A doctor or therapist can help determine if you might have a mental health condition and recommend appropriate treatments.

They can also help you learn to manage the behavior and avoid negative self-talk.

Not only that, it can have a number of important benefits includingregulating emotionsand improving memory.

While it might seem silly, it actually works.

Brinthaupt TM.Individual differences in self-talk frequency: social isolation and cognitive disruption.Front Psychol.