According to a study conducted by psychologists Daniel Swigley and Gary Lupyan and published in the Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, talking to yourself could actually be beneficial.
After all, if even Albert Einstein “used to repeat his sentences to himself softly”, evidenced by his official site. That is proof enough!
Mood
There are actually benefits that come from talking to yourself, as it can clarify your train of thought and alleviate any stress. So we can go as far to say it helps in making you feel better. In fact, there are two types of self-talk – negative self-talk which can make your mood drop, as we are our own worst critics. We want to focus on the good dialogue, and cheering ourselves on.
Memory
Studies by Lupyan and Swingley have shown that talking to yourself provides a cognitive boost to your brainpower.
The study involved 20 volunteers who were shown photographs of objects and told to pick out a banana from them. It was split evenly between the volunteers; there were those who remained silent and those who would utter ‘banana’ out loud. The results were quite interesting – it was found that the self-directed talkers selected the banana a little quicker.
Talking aloud dates back to our childhood, where we learnt new skills by talking our way through it—something instinctive to children. This useful habit is only lost when we reach maturity and grow to fear that talking aloud to ourselves may be perceived by many as a sign of madness.
Focus
Thoughts can come and go, and often snowball into something else. By deliberating out loud to ourselves can help us clarify any situation, especially when sometimes everything can become overwhelming. Hearing our own voices can be comforting so why not to invite yourself to a conversation when you have a spare moment, which will help you understand your own opinions better. Take the time to listen to your inner voice, allowing yourself to count on you to understand your own needs.
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