Talking to yourself is not always insane, researchers  

It can be uncomfortable to be caught talking to oneself in certain situations. It may give the impression that one has lost their sanity. Generally, speaking is seen as a means of communication, so talking to oneself without directing it at someone or without anyone hearing can seem pointless. However, this assumption is not entirely accurate. Speaking serves other purposes as well.

How often do we look for our keys and ask, “Where are my keys?” Saying it aloud helps us locate them because it reminds us of what we are searching for and prevents us from losing focus. This is just one example of the benefits of self-talk.

Delve deeper into why we engage in self-talk, commonly known as “self-talk”.

Motor command

Speaking aloud to oneself is an expression of our internal monologue. It occurs when our motor functions are activated automatically. According to Soviet psychologist Lev Vygotsky in the early 20th century, speaking out loud during the initial stages of learning to talk is a result of the disconnect between our speech and thoughts.

As we grow older, we reduce our frequency of connecting our thoughts to our speech. However, even in adulthood, we continue to do so for various reasons.

Speaking out loud can have many benefits for adults, such as practicing a language, enhancing learning abilities, and improving social skills through “private speech”.

Individuals who are auditory learners often find it helpful to repeat instructions back to the person providing them to aid their memory. Similarly, they likely acquired spelling skills by vocalizing the letters of a word repeatedly.

Reading something aloud, instead of silently, aids memory retention for individuals and facilitates effective communication.

Self-talk improves focus

Researchers have found that the ability to concentrate can be influenced by the content of our speech. In experiments, individuals were asked to speak nonsensical words while carrying out unrelated tasks. As humans struggle with multitasking, this exercise generally hinders their performance in the given task.

On the other hand, when individuals utilize their verbal communication to guide their actions, it enhances their task execution, enabling them to recall and execute their duties more effectively.

Speaking out loud and visualizing things have implications. For instance, when searching for a chicken in a busy illustration like ‘Where’s Waldo?’, saying the word “chicken” helps visualize and locate it more quickly.

In addition to cognitive benefits, talking to oneself can also enhance confidence and motivation through positive self-talk, resulting in increased self-assurance and drive.

Sports

Several studies have investigated the impact of self-talk on the performance of tennis players. Typically, participants are divided into two groups and engage in an assessment, training sessions, and a concluding evaluation.

A group is instructed to engage in positive self-talk. During the final evaluation, the group exhibited reduced anxiety, increased confidence, and improved performance compared to the other group.

Self-distancing

Speaking to oneself in the third person, such as saying “you can do this, John,” instead of “I can do this,” has been found to reduce anxiety and nervousness towards a given task. It can help reduce anxiety for an upcoming job interview by causing self-distancing.

A study in Scientific Reports found that speaking in the third person is an effective method to calm oneself down.

Everyone experiences inner thoughts, though the amount may vary. These thoughts may drift during late hours, seemingly random. Nevertheless, it is crucial to discern these distractions and focus on our daily tasks.

Excessive self-talk

For individuals battling depression or anxiety, it can be challenging to break through this internal dialogue. When one’s inner thoughts stray excessively, they may become incoherent and devoid of meaning.

Self-talk helps manage challenging emotions

Speaking to someone, whether it be a friend or a therapist, can prove beneficial when dealing with challenging emotions. Similarly, simply talking to oneself can also provide relief, especially when there is no one else present to lend a listening ear.

It aids us in comprehending our emotions, such as grief, guilt, or other feelings, and assists us in accepting and making peace with them.

Mental disorder

Individuals with mental illness, such as schizophrenia, may engage in self-dialogue. They may experience the perception of an external voice within their mind and occasionally vocalize their responses. This unique phenomenon distinguishes them from other cases of self-talk.

Speaking to oneself can be worrisome when it arises from auditory hallucinations, wherein one converses with an entity within their mind, exclusively heard by them, distinct from their thoughts.

Another form of harmful self-talk is negative self-talk, where individuals openly discourage and criticize themselves, impacting their self-esteem and outlook.

Speaking to oneself is generally considered normal and serves various purposes besides being associated with mental health issues.

Individuals engage in this practice to manage their feelings and thoughts more effectively while enhancing productivity.

If you have a habit that you cannot break and would like to, if it causes you distress, or if it mainly consists of negative self-talk, reaching out to someone for assistance might be a helpful step.