When was the last time you gave yourself a nice, little pep talk?
In all honesty, when it comes to keeping myself on track with my goals, I feel like I am the only one who can boost my motivation. No other person out there can keep me going the way I can. What can I say, I know exactly what I need to hear to keep myself moving forward. I am my own woman.
However, as much as chatting with myself helps me, I’m afraid I have to admit that it undoubtedly makes me look like I’m not all there, if you know what I mean. Especially, when I use my own name in the conversation.
I’ve seen how people look at me.
Most of these people aren’t used to the idea of completely relying on themselves before opening up to others. They’re terrified of how otherswould perceive them.
But, here’s a news flash for all of us constructive self-talkers!
While self-talking is often labeled as a social no-no, a few pieces of research suggest that talking to yourself is actually a sign of higher intelligence.
A study published by the Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology discovered that talking to yourself can help the brain prepare itself for better recognition of the object. It can also help us enhance the brain’s memory centers. All in all, talking to yourself is a remarkable way to easily understand what you’re learning.
For example, in a 2011 study, 20 participants were given the name of an object to look for in a market. They were challenged to think both loud and silent while searching for the object.
The results showed that the participants who spoke to themselves not only found the object easily but talking out loud also helped them enhance their memory. They showed that speaking improved searching suggesting that there’s a relation between the visual target and the name.
In addition, scientists at Bangor University in the UK found talking to yourself out loud is not only be helpful but may indicate a higher level of intelligence.
The participants of this study were given a list of instructions and told to read them out loud and silently. After measuring their performance and analyzing their concentration levels, researchers concluded that people were more concentrated and absorbed what they read when they were reading out loud.
The study’s co-author and psychologist Dr. Paloma Mari-Beffa explains, the benefits may be coming “from simply hearing oneself, as auditory commands seem to be better controllers of behavior than written ones”.
She adds that talking out loud could actually be “a sign of high cognitive functioning”.
Dr. Mari sees self-talking as an extension of our inner silent talk, something that has always been helpful when it comes to organizing our thoughts, emotions, and memories.
“The stereotype of the mad scientist talking to themselves, lost in their own inner world, might reflect the reality of a genius who uses all the means at their disposal to increase their brain power,” points out Dr. Mari-Beffa.
So, I guess that’s why we often see athletes and tennis players talk to themselves during competitions. Perhaps self-talk is much more than just an unusual, odd activity. Perhaps it’s the best form of motivational all of us need to improve our focus.
So, here’s to all of you self-talkers out there. We may seem crazy, but science is always here to back us up!
