TALKING TO YOURSELF IS OKAY, SAYS DOCTOR

Do you talk out loud to yourself? Dr. Jessica Nicolosi, a clinical psychologist based in New York, says “Talking to ourselves is completely within the norm.” She notes that we talk to ourselves for many reasons. It often occurs when we’re experiencing a deepened emotion, such as anger, nervousness, extreme focus or excitement. For example, you may feel some stress about turning left or you may be anxious about being late if you don’t locate your keys. “If we speak out loud, it forces us to slow down our thoughts and process them differently because we engage the language centers of our brain,” explains Dr. Nicolosi. “By talking to ourselves we become more deliberate, and this creates a slower process to think, feel and act, instead of being bombarded by our thoughts.” Talking yourself through a left turn forces you to be more alert, and talking to yourself when feeling an extreme emotion – such as nervousness before a meeting – can help you process what you’re feeling and better prepare for the events to come. When talking to yourself:
– Be kind to yourself. Words of encouragement, like “You can do this”, can have a positive effect on performance.
– If you’re looking for familiar items (like missing keys), saying the name of the item out loud has been found to help people find the objects more quickly.
– Use self-talk to work through extreme emotions – including anger, sadness, confusion and stress – and to sort out personal conundrums.
– Be sure to also listen to what you’re saying. Use the advice you’re giving yourself.
* (pause) Hey – where’d everybody go?
* Talking to yourself – my entire radio career has just been validated.
* What if you talk to yourself but you keep telling yourself to shut up?
* Or what if you won’t let yourself get a word in edge-wise?
* The worst part is when you talk to yourself but you keeping getting into arguments.
* What’s this obsession this doctor lady has with turning left? She ought to ask herself if she’s obsessive-compulsive.