Being caught talking to yourself can be one of the most mortifying experiences. Whether you’re encouraging yourself to get a task done or chastising yourself for making a mistake, it’s a nightmare to be called out on it, especially considering the stigma that people who talk to themselves are crazy. However, if anyone has ever laughed at you for talking to yourself, it turns out the joke is on them. According to a new study, talking to yourself is not only totally normal, it might actually be healthy. Researchers at Bangor University asked participants to read written instructions either silently or out loud. They then measured each participant’s concentration and performance of each task. As it turned out, they improved greatly when those instructions were read aloud. Apart from talking to yourself being a sign of high cognitive functioning, more researchers are beginning to say that “self-talk” can also help with recalling memories, as well as improving your confidence level and sharpening your focus. According to Gary Lupyan, Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Wisconsin, talking to yourself isn’t an irrational thing to do. Lupyan, who has studied how hearing ourselves speak can impact our memories, added that saying a name — any name — out loud can be incredibly powerful in recalling memories. “Think of it as a pointer to a chunk of information in your mind. Hearing the name exaggerates what might normally happen if you just bring something to mind. Language boosts that process.” This news should give us a big boost the next time someone gives us a hard time for talking to ourselves. As it turns out, we’ve been doing it right all along.
