Is it normal to talk to yourself?
6,640,620 Views
13,644 Questions Answered
Let’s Begin…
Being caught talking to yourself can feel embarrassing, and some people even stigmatize this behavior as a sign of mental instability. But decades of research show that talking to yourself is completely normal; most if not all of us engage in some form of self-talk every day. So why do we talk to ourselves? And does what we say matter? Dig into the psychological benefits of positive self-talk.
Distanced self-talk has been shown to decrease stress in anxiety-filled situations. Why may talking directly to yourself, as if in conversation with a friend, reduce stress?
Sign in to answer questionAbout TED-Ed Animations
TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »
Meet The Creators
- Educator Shannon Odell
- Director Avi Ofer
- Narrator Alexandra Panzer
- Composer Salil Bhayani, cAMP Studio
- Sound Designer Nirana Singh, cAMP Studio
- Director of Production Gerta Xhelo
- Produced by Anna Bechtol, Abdallah Ewis
- Editorial Director Alex Rosenthal
- Editorial Producer Dan Kwartler
- Expert Consultant Ethan Kross, Tom Brinthaupt