Skip to main content

Is it normal to talk to yourself?

6,638,284 Views

13,639 Questions Answered

TEDEd Animation

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 question

About 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

More from Mind Matters