If you talk to yourself out loud, other people may think you’re a bit quirky, eccentric, or a little scatterbrained. On the outside, it may look like you’re struggling to make sense of yourself and can’t do it without verbalizing. It can also be seen as a cry for attention or an involuntary reaction to having a thought.
However, research suggests that if you talk out loud to yourself, you probably make better decisions than those who keep it all inside. That’s because self-talk gives us a unique perspective on our thoughts, allowing us to evaluate them from the outside. In a way, your brain treats it like you are listening to a lecture and evaluating the speaker’s message—but it’s really just your own mind. “It’s a useful way to check in with yourself and organize thoughts and feelings,” psychologist Grace Tworek, PsyD, tells Cleveland Clinic.
People who talk to themselves think more clearly
Talking out loud makes our thoughts more concrete, so we can look at them from different angles and make connections we might miss when they’re just vague notions running through our minds. It’s also a great way to judge your own logic. Sometimes a thought can make perfect sense, but when we say it out loud it sounds ridiculous.
Thinking out loud is like putting all your ideas on a blackboard and viewing them with an objectivity that’s hard to find in the confines of your skull.
People who talk to themselves have improved focus, clarity, and problem-solving skills
If you talk to yourself out loud, there are multiple benefits, according to Reviive Therapy.
When you talk out a problem out loud, you are forced to clarify and organize your ideas. This allows you to gain perspective on what’s truly important, and it provides direction and clarity. “When you talk through a problem out loud, you engage in a form of cognitive processing that can reveal new perspectives and solutions,” Reviive Therapy writes on its website. “The act of speaking helps to break down issues into manageable parts, facilitating more effective problem-solving.”
How to effectively talk to yourself
As with any type of self-talk, there are healthy and unhealthy ways to do it. You’ll get better results talking to yourself out loud if you use your first name, as if you’re speaking in the third person, rather than referring to yourself as “you” or “I.” “It gives you a little bit of emotional space,” Tworek says. Also, it’s important to keep it positive. “If you’re negatively talking to yourself, it’s not really going to increase or help your performance,” Tworek continues. “So don’t be hard on yourself. Instead, try to make the conversation uplifting and productive.”
If you’ve been judged for talking out loud, you’ve got the last laugh because, in reality, you’re only giving yourself the greatest opportunity to make good decisions. If you’re thinking about joining the ranks of those who verbalize their thoughts, give it a shot, just be a little mindful of where you are and who is listening.
