Inner self-talk is a concept in existence starting during one’s early childhood years, and it’s used instinctually by many people. The nature of self-talk can affect how one thinks, feels, and behaves, particularly during stressful situations. Psychologist and researcher Dr. Ethan Kross studied how inner monologues may have an influential impact on several aspects in one’s life.
Dr. Kross’ research found that people who make small shifts in their self-talk language can have a positive effect on their success in life. For instance, if you talk to yourself in the first-person using the pronoun ‘I’, then the individual is more likely to react on behalf of emotions and buckle under pressure, resulting in poorer performance. On the contrary, referring to oneself by name during self- talk can boost self-confidence, increase performance on various tasks, and allow for self-advocacy even under stress. From a scientific perspective, self-reference in the third person can shift the areas of the brain that control thought and fear, and thus distance ourselves from intense emotions that drive these senses of self. In turn, this process of separating oneself psychologically leads to greater objective clarity, self-control, and improved performance. Additionally, thoughts and behaviors after one’s performance on a task can be altered with the use of third-person self-talk, and lead to a reduction in dwelling on how we performed on such tasks.
The findings of this research also suggest that using one’s personal name during self-talk takes the focus away from the self in a healthy manner. In other words, engaging in anxiety-provoking activities becomes less jarring because it leads to more impartial wisdom during problem-solving tasks. This is particularly relevant and applicable for people with social anxiety because proper self-talk can assist with decreasing anxiety and improving performance while interacting with others during a job interview, among relationships, and also with demanding intellectual tasks as well. In summary, third-person self-talk references can benefit all individuals with regard to self-esteem, anxiety, social interactions, self-reflection, and objectivity while under stress. These subtle changes in our daily habits can have implications for fostering positive outcomes in our physical, emotional, personal, and professional lives.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/201505/the-voice-reason