Soliloquy of the mind

Kiss “I” goodbye

When our soliloquy game is going strong, self-talking unknowingly feeds us with some mental benefits. Despite its many perks, the level of effectiveness of self-talking can be determined by how you deliver the message.

In a study conducted by the University of Michigan, researchers discovered that the positive effect of an internal dialogue is determined by the person’s use of pronouns. The first group of participants used first-person pronouns when talking to themselves, with phrases like “I can do it” or “I am almost there”; while the second group was instructed to use second and third person pronouns, with phrases like “You can do it” or “you are almost there.”

Researchers found that the group using second and third person pronouns performed significantly better at the test conducted than the other group. Likewise, those who used second and third person pronouns were less distressed before and after the test compared to the other group.

Describing this technique as “psychological distancing,” Dr. Guy Winch explained in the article Why You Should Start Talking to Yourself that it is a process wherein individuals remove themselves from the stressful situation by referring to themselves as an outside spectator uninvolved in the stress. Creating distance from stressful events can allow the person to manage a range of chaotic emotions and to reduce the unfavorable effects of anxiety and stress.

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