Internal Monologue

Do you tell yourself, "Don't forget to pick up the laundry" before you leave home and then when you get home without it at the end of the day, you say to yourself, "Oh drat! I knew I forgot something!" Do you talk to yourself throughout the day? This internal monologue or self-talk, is the result of certain brain mechanisms that causes you to “hear” yourself talk in your head without actually speaking and forming sounds. Some people have a constant internal monologue commenting on everything they do, whereas others produce only snippets of inner speech as they go about their day.

One study found that internal monologue was most frequently used for self-regulation (e.g. planning and problem solving), self‐reflection (e.g. self‐motivation, assessment of behaviour/performance) and critical thinking (e.g., evaluating and judging). Research also shows that people often use more inner verbalization when they're under pressure, perhaps when they're rehearsing answers for job interview questions, or psyching themselves up for a big match. 

Another study by a psychologist came up with a list of four common internal speakers - the faithful friend, the ambivalent parent, the proud rival and the helpless child- each voice surfacing in different situations. In each case, the internal monologue helps us make sense of the world around us and to engage with it.

However, your inner voice may also have negative effects if you primarily experience self-criticism on a regular basis. Such negative self-talk can influence your overall mood and self-esteem and can lead to the development of anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and many other forms of mental illness. While stopping negative self-talk isn’t as simple as turning off a switch, mindfully engaging in more positive self-talk can help override critical thoughts. 

Strangely, not everyone has an inner monologue. People who don’t self-talk say that they have no filters to process their thoughts before they speak and so they tend to vent a lot 

Well, the next time you see someone lost in thought, you might just say to yourself, “I wonder what conversation is going on inside his head?”