Internal monologue means more than just pondering over your thoughts. It consists of inner speech, where you can “hear” your voice and play out phrases and conversations in your mind.
Mental conversing is, in its entirety, a natural phenomenon. Some people might experience it more than others. Most refer to it as self-talk, which in primary reference, is how you talk to yourself when deciphering your thoughts.
Talking to yourself is normal, even if you do it often. Some prefer being mindful of talking to themselves to avoid obnoxious conversations in specific situations.
You might not know you’re mentally conversing, but you certainly are. This inner voice combines conscious thoughts with inbuilt beliefs and biases to create an internal monologue throughout the day.
For some people, ruminating thoughts and self-talking are a way to control anxiety. It may mean you’re replaying life events to ensure that you’re prepared and won’t feel as anxious next time. Rehearsing entire conversations in your head is a type of rumination. It’s how your mind attempts to self-soothe.
When people talk to themselves, they may be working problems out in their minds and speaking them out loud, also known as “self-explaining.” Talking out loud helps people work through their thoughts.
Effective use of self-talk can improve your performance by helping you regulate your feelings, thoughts, and energy about those events.
Positive self-talk can help you feel confident, improve coordination, control fine motor skills, enhance focus, and perform better at endurance events.
A recent study found that it matters how you talk to yourself. It matters not only what you say but also how you say it. For example, talking about yourself in the third person or using your name rather than referring to yourself in the first person can be helpful.
A critic-related inner voice may develop during times of extreme stress. It’s also sometimes seen in mental health conditions, such as anxiety and depression.
In such cases, your mind may engage in negative self-talk by criticizing how you work, socialize, participate in social circles, and more. Harness power through positive self-talk and regain control over your emotions, thoughts, and impulses.
Whether you have a constant narration in your head or hear nothing, the debate raises interesting questions about how we think, process, and let out information.
