Do you...talk to yourself?

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    It’s a typical softball practice for sophomore Dakota Bates. She’s beginning to feel nervous from the pressure of the practice. Anxiety quickly creeps in and makes it harder for Bates to focus on her goals at practice. Without thinking, she quickly says, “you got this,” “just relax” to ease the pressure of catching the fast moving softball. Although some may think she was just reiterating positive thoughts in her head to help concentrate while playing softball, Bates actually was talking to herself out loud.

    “During softball, or just in general when I’m doing certain things, if I’m having struggles with something, I’ll talk to myself…so it is like analyzing my thoughts,” Bates said. 

    Self-talk is the way we communicate with ourselves, whether it is silent or out loud. The way we talk to ourselves can influence the way we think, feel, and even behave. According to Calm, a mental health and meditation app, there are two main types of self-talk: internal dialogue, and spoken self-conversations. More often than not internal dialogue is less noticeable but more common. Spoken self-conversation consists of talking to yourself out loud to increase focus, learning, and to solve problems effectively.

    “I experience a lot of anxiety, so, I have to say confident words in order to do what I’m doing,” Bates said. “It [spoken self-conversations] definitely helps me encourage myself to do well.”

    According to Thomas Brinthaup, a professor emeritus of psychology at Middle Tennessee State University who spoke to Time Magazine, studies have found that when someone is experiencing anxiety, they are more likely to talk to themselves. The National Alliance on Mental Illnesses reports that over 40 million adults in the U.S. have an anxiety disorder. 

    For some, self-talk is a coping mechanism for anxious thoughts and situations. For sophomore Allyanne Flores, self-talk is what helps her work through challenging assignments and tests in school.

    Weeks ago, Flores was challenged by a test in David Blake’s Advanced Biology class. Throughout the test she practiced both positive and negative self-talk. 

    “[During the test] I definitely whispered to myself. Sometimes it won’t be loud enough so that everyone can hear but loud enough where only I can,” Flores said. “Sometimes I’d say ‘oh shoot,’ ‘dang it,’ I’ll just be beating myself up honestly.”

    Even though self-talk can be a way for many to cope with anxiety, repeating negative words to yourself can have a huge impact on your mental health. Calm explains that negative self-talk is not the same for every person but a majority of the problem stems from: childhood experiences where they never felt good enough, society norms and expectations, peer pressure, past failure, and emotional scars.

    “Self talk honestly really impacts you whether you believe it or not,” Flores said. “When I talk good about myself…I won’t have stress or anxiety over a test and it won't affect my day afterwards.”

    Switching his self-talk to positivity has become a way of comfort for sophomore Zachary Duvall. A few years ago Duvall would occasionally take walks by himself. During these walks he would constantly talk to himself repeating the words, “you’ll get through this,” and “you just have to make it through.”  These walls began to allow Duvall to feel comforted during a difficult time in his life.

    “It [self-talk] has given me comfort in times of need, when I felt like I had no one else to lean on,” Duvall said. “So, I lean on myself for comfort. It has provided me hope in times of need and really it made me feel more independent…more self reliant.”

    Although some may be more aware of self-talk, there are many people who find themselves talking in random, almost sudden matters. For instance, senior Valeria Garcia-Pichardo tends to practice internal dialogue more often than self-spoken conversations. But, every once in a while Garcia-Pichardo finds herself saying words and phrases out loud while practicing daily tasks. 

    “I do remember I said ‘working hard or hardly working’ and I was very critical of myself…it’s like why did I say that,” Garcia-Pichardo said. “ I was cleaning dishes and I remembered hearing that quote from somebody…I just said it out loud without even thinking.”

    Even though self-talk seems “embarrassing” at times for Garcia-Pichardo, she still manages to use her words to stay organized while writing things down, making lists, and keeping focused on what she is doing. She likes to remind herself that everyone has imperfections and that little habits, such as talking to yourself, does not define her as a person.

    “Recognize that you are imperfect,” Garcia-Pichardo said. “It’s okay to speak and not worry about it. Because, at the end of the day this is us and making mistakes is normal.”

    Self-talk is normal, and almost everyone has experienced it in their lives. There is so much that is still unknown about the human brain, but one thing that is very much so true is that negativity is never the answer. 

    The next time you feel stressed, anxious, upset, or confused about anything in your life, stop and talk your feelings out. Self-talk has become a frequent tool that has helped shape the lives of many students, and just might happen to help you succeed in your next task.